The Flower that Never Fades
by faded-lunar-sky
Summary: I, Riku Amarante, was meant to be a shadow, a protector. But what happens when the shadow is thrown into the light? Will it fade and become one with the light or will it go out of control to survive? OC x ? 'I promise to always protect you Naruto..'
1. Chapter 1: From the Beginning

-Chapter 1: From the Beginning-

**I know this has been overdone, but I wrote about how my OC Riku Amarante impacts the Naruto cannon characters. This is my first fan fiction so criticism is welcomed. If you flame me then go ahead as long as you give me some pointers. Please review and read if you have the time. **

**Background Information: **(Probably cliche, but ) Riku is the last of the Amarante clan. The clan is known for its affinity with nature. Due to this, most members are able to have free range of an element through the usage of a chi system (runs spiritual energy around the body) that networks around the body like the chakra system. They are also known to possess an eye technique that was incorporated into the clan through cross clan mixing. (More will be revealed later but that's the core information.)

*Altered chapter (see announcement 2)*

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><p><strong>*Other notes:<strong>

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the other characters except my OC Riku Amarante. **

**Read and Review please. (^.^)**

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><p>"Iruka-san, Naruto vandalized the Hokage monument again. We need backup." A chunin calls out from the doorway.<p>

"I was on my way to find him." Iruka-sensei replies with a tired sigh before standing. Rubbing the scar on his nose, he faces the class. "No one move until I get back." He warns before following after the other chunin.

It was another day in the village hidden in the leaves. Nothing seemed out of place. Sure Naruto was running around pulling pranks again but it's nothing new. After Iruka-sensei leaves the classroom, I slide out of my chair before heading to a nearby window. 'Naruto... looks like you might need some backup of your own.' I thought as I push open the window with a loud creak. Before I take a step out the window I hear Sakura asking me where I was going.

Closing my silver eyes and adjusting my hat over my dark blue hair, I reply, "Need to get some fresh air."

Before leaving, I place a shadow clone in my seat in case another sensei took over the classroom – disregarding the curious glances in my direction. With another pull on my hat, I jump out the window in search of my orange clad friend.

'If I'm right, Naruto would be chased somewhere around here…' I thought as I stop on the roof of one of the inns and not a moment too soon, seeing as Naruto was heading my way. I was near an empty room at the inn and luckily, the window was open.

'Who leaves the window open where a village full of ninjas could break in?' I thought with a sweat drop before scoffing. 'Explains why I've given up questioning why this village does things... ' I finish bitterly before landing softly in the room.

As Naruto gets closer, I notice two chunin slowly gaining on him. Narrowing my eyes, I create another shadow clone and place a henge on it to make it look like Naruto. The clone glances down at itself as the cloud of smoke clears away before moving toward the open window on the adjacent wall. As Naruto passes by, I yank him through the window and cover his mouth before he could release a yelp of surprise. At the same time the fake Naruto reveals himself from the other window, patronizes the two chunins, and speeds off. Seems the two chunins fell for it seeing as they quickly chase after the decoy.

*Chomp*

My brow twitches when I feel saliva bleeding through my black glove. Grimacing, I send Naruto a cold gaze before breaking my hold – sending him stumbling forward. "Naruto… what do you think you're doing?"

Wheezing, Naruto coughs out, "Couldn't … breathe… how do I… know… you're Riku?"

I mentally sweat drop at the question while keeping up a mask of indifference, "Who else would I be? After all the trouble I went to get you away from those chunin, to think you would doubt me." I shake my head before shrugging. "Ahh well… I suppose I could tie you up and deliver you to Iruka-sensei myself." I suggest as a smirk appears on my face.

Sweat trails down the side of his neck as he rubs the back of his head awkwardly, "Ehh heh.. guess you really are Riku.. no one else is that sadistic except that psycho-sensei you had for a bit.. What was her name.. Anki..Ako.. bah.. it wasn't important." He waves off before confusion enters his eyes,"... Anyway why are you here?"

I slightly tilt my head to the side, "Ahh.. I did say that I was going to help you right?"

"Oh yeah. But won't helping me get you in trouble with Iruka-senei?" I could hear the hesitation in the question – causing me to slightly smile at his concern, even if it wasn't necessary.

"I'm not worried over that." I wave off before continuing, "Did you forget our promise?" I ask as I prop myself against the wall.

**{~}**

~Flashback~

_Naruto sits on the swing near the Academy as he watches the other kids go to their parents. He watches enviously as the parents give the other children praise and affection. As his gaze lingers on them, the parents take notice and begin to glare daggers at him. "Demon," "Monster," and the like are sent to him in harsh whispers. Their hatred for him was evident. Naruto didn't understand the hostility directed towards him. 'What did I do wrong..?' he thought. As the whispers begin to escalate, he feels his eyes beginning to burn with his unshed tears, but he would not let them see his tears; it would only give them some sick satisfaction. As Naruto keeps wondering about the hostility towards him, his mind drifts to the girl who first offered him friendship. Several months have passed since their last meeting. He faintly remembers her dark blue hair and kind silver eyes, but he never had a chance to discover her name. She was from the Amarante clan, but rumors of Orochimaru killing off the clan were known throughout the village. He knew nothing else of the subject and just assumed she died in the massacre. Deep in thought, Naruto failed to notice the soft footsteps approaching him._

_"Eh? Still by yourself?" the rough voice asked._

_Naruto looks up to see a boy with his right eye bandaged before trailing his eyes further down to see bandages peeking under the jacket sleeves. He stills when he notices the vacant look in the boy's pale eye, finding it eerily blank like the those of some of the ninja he sees wandering the village. Shrugging the thought away, Naruto takes in the boy's overall appearance, finding nothing impressive. He wore a simple black hooded jacket and tan shorts with a hat covering most of his choppy blue hair. Even with such a bland appearance, he can't fit the boy with a name. Sure, there were times where he skipped class, but he should have noticed the boy somewhere. He looked the same age as him. Realizing his lack of response, Naruto looks off to the side as he purses his lips._

_"I don't see how it's any of your business. Besides, isn't it obvious?"_

_The boy stares at him blankly. "Ah... can't really see clearly so had to ask." He shrugs. "Things look ... weird with just one eye." _

_A pang of guilt appears in Naruto's chest, but he makes no move to apologize, opting rather to look off to the side. _

_"Oi. Are you moping?" _

_"What?" _

_"You're pouting." The boy deadpans. "You're jutting out your bottom lip. Lame." _

_A tickmark appear on Naruto's face. "How would you know? You said you're basically blind. Besides, if you could actually see me, you wouldn't even be here." Naruto points his finger between the boy's eyes. The boy blinks blankly before pushing the hand away or rather, attempts to. He keeps swiping at the empty air before finally pushing away Naruto's hand. _

_'What's with this guy... he really is blind... isn't he?' Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. _

_"I can still see you. I just have bad depth perception with one eye. Besides, you're not much different from everyone else. Maybe a bit louder... and angry... and lonely." The boy trails off as Naruto sends him a glare. _

_"Hey, I-"_

_The boy cuts him off. "Oi, want to be my friend?"_

_Naruto gawks.'What's with him... he's so... weird! But... does he really mean that...? Will I no longer be alone?' Swallowing the lump in his throat, he replies, "W-why... why w-would you want to be my friend?" Replaying his words, Naruto internally curses the unwanted stutters._

_The boy quirks a brow. "Why wouldn't I?" The boy challenges as he crosses his arms._

_"Don't your parents tell you I'm some kind of monster to avoid?" Naruto replies, allowing the bitterness to fully surface. 'Heh... what was I thinking... he's going to be the same as everyone else.'_

_"Not really. They died with the rest of my clan." Naruto's eyes widen in shock as he glances at the boy looking off to the side. Despite the nonchalant tone, Naruto can still hear the bitterness in the boy's voice. "Even if they were alive, they're not stupid enough to pass judgment on a rumor. You prove who you are with your actions. That simple."_

_Naruto blinks in surprise before realization slams him in the face. 'Clan massacre... then that means he's from the Amarante clan. He... he's alone, just like me. But that girl... if he lived then she could be alive too! She has to be!'_

_Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he asks, "Are, are you from the Amarante clan? __Do you know a girl with the same hair and eye color as you? Is she alive?" _

_'She can't just be gone... there has to be a chance... there has to!' Naruto hopes._

_The boy shifts uncomfortably, slightly unsettled by the desperation leaking into Naruto's eyes. "I'm sorry but the girl you're asking for...she no longer exists."_

_A heaviness settles in Naruto chest as he screws his eyes shut. 'So even her... I-I never fulfilled our promise... I didn't even get your name...' _

_The boy glances back at Naruto. "But I know she is looking after you...I knew her... she really cared for you." Naruto nods numbly, still taking in the confirmation of her death. "She really did care for you." Not getting a response, the boy steps closer to Naruto. "No one can be alone forever... so that's why I want a friend too. I may not be the one you wished to be alive, but I promise I will protect you and support you no matter what." The boy holds out his hand to Naruto as a small smile appears on his lips._

_Naruto's eyes widen as he sees the image of a girl holding out the same hand towards him momentarily eclipse the boy's figure._

_Shocked, Naruto shakily reaches over and takes the boy's hand. He softly murmurs something but the young boy catches it._

_"Eh... you're a shy one huh. My name is Riku. Just Riku, no honorifics."_

_"Heh, the name's Uzumaki Naruto." A grin forms on his face as he tightens his hold on the hand. "And I'll protect you too. Believe it."_

~End Flashback~

**{~}**

A fond smile creeps along Naruto's face as he says, "Heh. Of course not Riku. But I didn't expect you to become so emotionless like Sasuke."

"Ah…I take that as an offense. Don't think Sasuke would be so kind as to help you escape those chunin." I reply with a tiny shrug before allowing the coldness to come back into my expression. "Besides I have to keep my emotions in check Naruto… you know what would happen if I don't…" I mumble before pushing off the wall to head back to the classroom. However it seems Naruto had other plans. His hand grabs my shoulder – halting me in my steps.

"Ne… Riku that's not what I meant. I know you have to go through a lot just to make sure your emotions stay under control, but I did promise that I will stop you whenever it happens again. Besides, I thought those psycho-sensei took care of most of the kinks."

'Kinks' was a very optimistic word choice. I wouldn't consider the uncontrollable urge to maul anyone that infuriated me or harmed Naruto a kink. Sure, I've undergone training to control my emotions to ensure something like that wouldn't happen again, but even so, something told me the so called 'kink' wasn't exactly a simple thing to remove, if removing it was even possible to begin with. For as long as I could remember (which isn't much), I've always had these 'temper tantrums' – as Ibiki would call them – and even with training, the urge was still present.

'Always the optimist…' I thought as I let Naruto's words finally register in my mind.

Releasing a small sigh before locking eyes with Naruto, I reply,"… I need more training to control it and sometimes my control slips… but I know you'll knock some sense into me no matter what." I finish with a small smile before changing the subject, "Anyway, we should get back before Iruka-sensei catches us… ahh seems like we're a bit too late. Gomen ne Iruka-sensei. Guess I was unable to get back to the classroom with Naruto before you found us." I comment with a careless shrug.

Iruka-sensei didn't look amused at my comment, but he seemed to have turned his attention back to Naruto. "NARUTO! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" That was all I heard before my best friend was bound by ropes and dragged back to the classroom. He would constantly shoot me looks saying 'let me out of these!,' only to have me shake my head in response. I knew when something was pointless.

"Now, don't think you're getting off easy Riku. This I expect from Naruto, but you too?" Iruka-sensei states back to me as before he continues to forcefully drag Naruto who appeared to be oblivious to the conversation.

"It shouldn't be a surprise. I'll take the same punishment as Naruto. You know the drill right?" I reply nonchalantly as I place my hands in my pockets. Iruka-sensei simply nods in my direction before facing forward.

Once he turns his head, I see a small smile appear on his face, but it must have been the trick of the light. A normal sensei wouldn't smile after finding his two students skipping class. 'Must be a trick of the light...' I conclude.

Nothing else was exchanged between the three of us, except of occasional outburst from Naruto. Yup, nothing new. I send a soft smile towards Naruto, signaling him that I'll still be around for the punishment. His eyes widen at the small display of emotion on my face before composing himself and attempting to send a cheery smile back, which only looked odd seeing as he was bound by ropes. I slightly shake my head as a small chuckle rumbles in my chest. As we continued walking, I feel a slight pinch in my arms and legs before receiving a memory from my clone. Apparently the clone had been caught in a wire trap – dispelling it and sending its memories to me. 'Guess I need to be more aware of my surroundings next time.' I thought to myself before remembering the shadow clone in class and quickly dispelling it – causing its memories to flow into me.

'Nothing new I suppose… girls fighting over Sasuke... Shika sleeping. Exactly how things should be.'

As we walk through the door, Iruka-sensei roughly throws Naruto to the floor in front of the class and tells me to go to my seat. I walk to my desk next to the window: two seats to the left of Sasuke, one seat to the right of Naruto, and one seat to the left of Shikamaru. As I walk by I tap on Shika's desk to tell him Iruka-sensei was back in the room. He simply looks up lazily and slightly nods, telling me that he was awake. Now that I think back, I've only spent time with Shika and Naruto. Others tend to stay away from me ever since that one incident in the training field. I won't go into that now… after all, it wasn't a very pleasant experience to say the least (especially for the victim). The only good thing about it was that it kept whatever fan girls I had away from me since they don't want me to 'lose it' around them; although, it didn't exactly discourage them from looking from afar. My attention was brought back to the front of the room as Iruka was chastising Naruto for his actions. I couldn't blame Iruka-sensei, seeing as we're one day away from our genin test and Naruto's struggles in the replication technique. Though I have offered to teach him the jutsu or the shadow clone jutsu instead, he didn't seem that interested or better yet his attention span got the best of him. That and I unfortunately lack the patience to teach him so we were unable to progress much in his tutoring. Blocking out the conversation, I shift my attention to the window to watch the clouds float by. 'What a nice day…'

"That's it Naruto! We're doing a review test on the transformation technique."

Moans and groans escape most of the students before they send death glares Naruto's way. 'It's not going to kill them to get up, walk down, and perform the jutsu… well maybe Shika …but he seems dead most of the time anyway…' I thought absently as I walk down the stairs to the front of the classroom.

Others were called up to perform the jutsu as I stood in between Naruto and Shikamaru. I shift my gaze to the right, noticing the mischievous smirk creeping along Naruto's face. 'What are you up to now? You wouldn't be smiling like that if you weren't… Wait, you're not-'

"Amarante Riku."

Iruka-sensei's voice breaks through my thoughts before I walk over. I form the correct hand sign and transform myself into an exact replica of Iruka-sensei, earning a nod of approval before he marks me off on his sheet and calls the next student.

"Haruno Sakura."

She confidently walks down the steps and executes the jutsu. Not a flaw in sight… except the lovesick expression on _Iruka-sensei's _face as _he _gazes lovingly at Sasuke in hopes that he would acknowledge _him._ It's an amusing sight to say the least. 'He'll return your feelings Sakura…when I drop dead out of the sky.'

"Uchiha Sasuke."

He calmly walks up and performs the henge. Nothing out of the ordinary was seen; he has the same dead eyes, but all the girls swoon over him regardless. Yup, nothing out of the ordinary.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

As Iruka asks him to transform, Naruto makes a slight alternation to the hand sign before a cloud of smoke appears. As it clears, a naked female version of himself with curves takes his place. Clouds sparsely covered his form – leaving little to no room for the imagination.

I sweat drop. 'Seriously Naruto… that was what you were working on when you said you were too busy for me to help you. Why did I even bother helping you in the first place…' I thought with a sigh as my shoulders slightly sag at the sight before me. 'Naruto will be Naruto… I guess.'

Iruka-sensei gets a massive nosebleed from the jutsu while Naruto laughs his head off.

"How do you like that? I call it my-" *bonk* "Oi Riku what was that for?" Naruto whines as he looks up to me.

"Ahh… I don't think you want to know Naruto. Where did you get the idea for this hmm?" I lean in closer and whisper in his ear. "You weren't doing anything indecent behind my back ne? Do you need me to punish you again?"

*gulp* Color drains from his face as beads of sweat trail down his neck. "Oi Riku… I think psycho-sensei is rubbing off on you…"

"Naruto you idiot! Don't invent such indecent techniques!"

'Looks like Iruka-sensei woke up already.' I stuff my hands into my pockets before glancing casually at the scream fest between Iruka-sensei and Naruto.

**{~}**

~At the monument~

"Damn it. Damn it…" Naruto chants as he scrubs the paint off the Hokage monument – putting more force between each set of words.

"You're not going home until you clean everything up Naruto!" Iruka calls out to us from below.

"I don't care! No one's waiting for me at home anyway." He replies with a hint of anger in his voice before glancing back at his work.

I stop cleaning and glance at Naruto with an indifferent expression. 'You're not the only one…Naruto.' Without him noticing, I stand behind him and lightly hit him on the head with my knuckles.

"Baka. Since when have you forgotten about me?" I glance at Naruto as a small smile travels across my face.

Naruto takes a moment to process the words before his trademark grin forms on his face. "Never. Besides you're cleaning up with me so of course you're not waiting for me at home."

"Naruto…you just made it sound like I'm your wife…" I state with a slight grimace – causing a blush to form on his face.

"Eh? That's not what I meant. I-" Naruto tries to explain while waving his arms to emphasize his point.

"Say Naruto, Riku." Iruka-sensei interrupts, causing us to glance down at him.

"Nani?" We both ask.

"If you both finish cleaning then I'll treat you two to ramen. How does that sound?"

We both look at each other before a knowing look appears on our faces. Naruto takes cover as I bend the surround water in the air and aim it toward the Hokage monument. Most of the paint washes away and we smirk at Iruka-sensei. Seeing as he's seen this numerous times, he merely shakes his head at our antics before telling us to hurry up. After we wipe away the last of the paint, we meet at Ichiraku's to get ramen. I order miso ramen and quickly finish it as Naruto talks to Iruka. It seemed as if they were talking about the genin exams tomorrow and something about the Hokage monument, but I was too absorbed in my food to pay much attention. Once we all finished, Iruka, Naruto, and I headed our separate ways, or rather, Iruka left us – seeing as Naruto and I live in the same apartment complex. Naruto heads to the apartment door next to mine before turning around a bidding me a good night.

**{~}**

~Dream Sequence~

_-Flashback-_

_In the Hokage tower stood a small child. Said child was shaking uncontrollably in the arms of Hatake Kakashi, the ANBU that managed to recover the only survivor of the Amarante clan. Blood covered the child from head to toe, making it difficult to judge the child's injuries. Dull eyes slowly opened to meet the coal eyes of Kakashi. Nothing was exchanged but it seemed as though some sort of link was formed between the two as the trembling slows to barely noticeable jolts. In an instant, the pale blue ring disappears from the irises and ruptured veins dye the right eye in splotches of red._

_With the clan's unclear history of clan-clan intermixing, there was no obvious explanation for the the appearance of the eye technique that caused the faded ripple-like images on the iris. Even so, it is known to allow the user to predict taijutsu and ninjutsu moves to a point where some would deem it a weaker version of the Sharingan, but the Bikoume reacts differently in that it flutters images before the users, showing them a sped up video of the future actions of the victim. The speed of which these images appear only travel as quickly as the individual can process it, proving a rather crippling handicap if the user cannot review the images quick enough to react to his or her surroundings. This technique appears to be a rather fickle genetic trait, skipping many generations while populating others in the clan's history. It's no surprise this mystery continues to persist, especially since the circumstances surrounding the appearance of this trait in the clan has never been cleared. _

_With outlying genes in the gene pool of the clan through the clan-clan mixing of the past, it is not surprising to see rather radical traits manifesting themselves as well, especially Riku's so-called "kink." Deemed originally as a mutation of the Bikoume, this so called state of animalistic prowess allows the user to lose oneself in the battle, to succumb to the rawest emotions, to allow the user to kill despite all distractions, injuries, and interference other than death. This state, accurately named the "berserker state" is the so-called kink that cannot be removed, cannot be fully controlled, for it is a defense mechanism rooted on the most primitive instincts of survival; yet, despite all odds, a trigger, a return switch, will appear in the form of a blonde-haired prankster. _

_..._

_Upon closer inspection, Riku's right eye exhibits signs of damage, namely in the chi coils wrapping around the chakra ones connected to the back of the eyes, preventing the eye from gaining a scarlet sheen when he's in the berserker state. Despite this, there was no hindrance to the ability, though it further heightened the rumors circulating around the village of another monster being borne into the demonic clan._

_..._

_Understanding the erratic emotions swirling within the silent child, the Hokage orders a reluctant Kakashi to oversee the child's training seeing as the child kept trailing after the white-haired, brooding man. After all, a weak mentality and various stimuli could cause the berserker state to completely overtake the child's psyche. That is where Ibiki gets brought into the picture, for he was deemed the best candidate to undertake such a delicate situation. _

_Despite all the planning, the Hokage's decrees were overruled by the council and Riku's guardianship fell in the hands of Danzo who made it apparent in the meeting the child's need for a highly regimented training structure to ensure his complete control over all emotions- a training that ROOT specializes in. From there, life became a downward spiral, a seemingly endless spiral that continued to travel deeper and deeper with no signs of light. That was all he had known for some years and when he finally found a single solace under Danzo's ever constant watch, it disappears in a blink, for the light couldn't match his shadow and merely perished. And then, **all hell broke loose.**_

_..._

_And not a moment too soon. This incident, though heavily buried, was exactly what the Hokage needed to regain custody of Riku despite the outcries of the other council members. _

_W__hatever occurred under Danzo was muted and left in the dark, but the damage had been done._

_..._

_Kakashi disappeared after some time, leaving no note, no explanation - nothing. Regardless, training continued between Ibiki and Riku before one day, Anko gains an interest in the seemingly emotionless boy and whisks him away as per her whims. Not long after, she takes over his training, much to the shock of the Hokage and Ibiki. _

_It was then that his resentment toward Kakashi grew. _

_..._

_More instances of the berserker state appeared. _

_More pain._

_More anger._

_More fear._

_Nothing could snap him out of the cycle. He trapped himself in a seemingly endless loop that neither Anko or Ibiki could fully break._

_..._

_Then he met **him. ** The seemingly idiotic, hopeless, knuckle-headed blond goofball Uzumaki Naruto - his new light. _

_...__**  
><strong>_

_But even this new light could not match his shadow... it was fragile... ever flickering, constantly wishing to grow but being restrained, just like his past self. _

_And so he vowed to grow stronger, to grow stronger to protect this fragile light of his, for it was what kept him sane - human. _

_..._

"_Riku, do you accept the proposal?"_

_"Ah...I accept Ojii-san. __After all, he is my light. I don't care about the consequences. I'll take whatever happens and keep moving forward. But I also want to add another condition." A smirk played on the child's lips._

_~memory lapse~ _

"_Very well. I will accept your decision."_

_Once the child disappeared from view, the Hokage murmured, "__You can't keep this charade forever... how will you keep hiding your true self from Naruto?"_

_-End Flashback-_

~End Dream Sequence~

**{~}**

After the memory replays itself in my mind, I wake up to the sun shinning in my eyes. With an annoyed huff, I pull the covers over my head before burrowing deeper in the warmth. It's been several years since that meeting. The deal was still intact, but eventually, like all games, that game will soon end. I peek out from under to covers to gaze up at the sky from my window, noticing two birds circling each other. Blurred images of a black-haired man and blue-haired woman overshadow the image of the birds, causing me to release a frustrated sigh. Although I couldn't see their faces, a wave of familiarity struck through me – telling me the two figures were my parents.

'Oka-san… Oto-san… I'll visit you two soon. The anniversary is approaching after all.' I thought to myself as I wrap the blankets tighter around my body. After the massacre, most of my memories had been lost – leaving me with snippets of information, blurred images of past friends, words – promises even – spoken by faceless figures.

Knowing I had to get out of bed to get ready for the exam, I slowly clamber out of bed and trudge over to the bathroom. Splashing water into my face to get the sleep out of my eyes, I watch the water trail down my hair before glancing at my reflection. I trace my hand against the surface of the mirror before quickly glancing away, as if I was ashamed to look at myself.

'When I reveal to you who I am, will you hate me… Naruto?'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry if that wasn't up to your expectations. Still working some things out and this is my first story. Thanks for taking the time to read and hope you review.<strong>

**(Edited on 2/2/14)**


	2. Chapter 2: Let the Games Begin

-Chapter 2: Let the Games Begin-

**AN: Here's the next chapter for this story. Things are going to develop slowly between some of the characters and the OC. As the story progresses, more of Riku's past will be revealed and the flashbacks will help.**

*Altered Chapter (see announcement 2)*

**Just a side note:**

**About the Amarante clan's traits:**

**~ Riku's clan is known to have two traits. The most common is their affinity to nature, so they are able to 'bend' at least one element with the usage of their chi network rather than the chakra network. However, they cannot control an element that is influenced by another person's chakra. The most common are fire and earth, while the least common are lightning, air, and water. **

**~The other trait they have is the eye technique called the Bikoume. It includes 3 levels. This trait only appears individuals who are descendants of the clan that mixed with the Amarante clan. (More will be revealed later.)**

** In level one, a small blue ring appears around the pupils. During this stage, the user is only able to predict only taijutsu moves. However, even if Riku can predict where the person will strike, it won't do him any good if he can't react fast enough. In level two, a thicker blue ring appears on the iris and allows him to predict both taijutsu and ninjutsu moves. In level 3, another ring appears and allows Riku to identify genjutsus. He can't predict when a person will use it, but it allows him to see through it. **

**-Each level obtained makes the person go into a sort of reset in which the person's chakra levels increase and the chi network expands (which ends up disrupting the normal chakra pathways). This network expansion disrupts the body's control over chakra since the body's spiritual energy tends to exceed the physical energy the person possesses so it's more difficult to mold chakra. Essentially, the person would have to undergo training on chakra control again unless he can figure out how to quickly adjust the physical energy in his body to match the accelerated increase of the spiritual energy in the body. Basically, even though Riku has undergone the tree climbing exercise, gaining the next eye level would make it seem like he's doing it for the first time except it would be twice as hard, if not more. **

**(^.^) (It's unfair but entertaining for Anko to watch.)**

**{~}**

**~Berserker mode: (Few in the clan saw this as a sort of mutation in the gene. Others saw it as a demon possessing Riku, but I'll leave it at that for you to ponder on.)**

**-No physical changes except his left eye will turn red and both pupils will turn into a slit. He is still able to use the abilities of the Bikoume. **

**-Damage received will be healed in an alarming rate. **

**-Chakra stores are released. (The chakra that is not used during the day will be stored for this moment.)**

**-Speed and strength increases.**

**-Control over his element increases.**

**-Drawbacks: **

**~Extreme exhaustion phase follows shortly after. **

**~Blackouts can happen while in this phase.**

**~Can be triggered by anger or depletion of initial chakra. **

**~Person may not be able to distinguish between friend or foe. **

**~Riku is unable to stop unless the target is dead, someone snaps him out of it, or if he's able to stop himself.**

***With more experience, the person will be able to remain conscious of his or her actions while in the berserker mode. Training in stamina will reduce exhaustion phase after berserker mode but the exhaustion phase cannot be eliminated. **

**~Ok so that was a lot to put out but hopefully that will help you understand the story better.**

**{~}**

***Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

**I do not own Naruto or any of the other characters except my OC Riku Amarante. **

**Read and Review please. (^.^)**

* * *

><p>~Academy classroom~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

"If your name is called, please come to the classroom next door. The test subject will be the replication technique." With that Iruka-sensei promptly leaves the room after calling out someone's name. I chance a glance at Naruto to find him a nervous mess. Anxiety and resignation flash through his eyes and it seems as though he was already giving up.

'What are the chances... just had to be his worst technique…'

"Ah… Naruto. Calm down. Making yourself nervous isn't going to help. Besides, this can't be worse than what psycho-sensei promised to do to you the next time she sees you. How you got her confused with Iruka-sensei I'll never know." I murmur the last part as I pull down my hat over my eyes.

"Ehh hehe… I could have sworn it was the same hair…" Naruto replies nervously.

"Her hair color is purple…how did you get that confused with brown…" I say to myself. There wasn't really a point to this conversation; I was merely trying to distract him enough to calm him down, but it seems as though it wasn't working.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

At the sound of his name, Naruto's form visibly tenses before a look of foreboding enters his face. He stumbles out of his seat before I place a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. "Calm down Naruto. You'll become a genin today. I know it. Even if you don't pass, nothing will change between us."

"I know Riku." He glances back, giving me a half-hearted smile before shrugging off my hand to walk down the stairs. The action surprises me, but I simply blame his behavior on his nerves. Once he exits the room, I can't help but wonder if he was saying that to reassure himself or me. Although Naruto and I have spent almost every waking minute with each other over the past few years, we never knew exactly what the other was thinking. We would assume, sure, but we never did develop that deep of a connection and that was what worried me. 'Will we grow apart soon? There's nothing really tying us together… just time and similar situations…' I shake the thought from my mind, opting to get a bearing on my surroundings first before delving in my thoughts.

Looking around the room, I notice other students attempting to calm their nerves for the exam or simply wasting time before being called. Shikamaru was still napping on his desk, and it didn't seem like he would wake up any time soon. Seeing nothing else to do, I shift my eyes to the window before allowing myself to get lost in my thoughts.

'How will things play out from here Naruto? Things are going to change soon. I can't hide it much longer…'

"Riku. What's with the stupid look? You look like someone died."

I turn my head to see Shika staring intently at my face. 'I never could hide things from him…'

"It's nothing out of the ordinary Shika." I reply easily as I try to escape his scrutinizing gaze.

"It's coming up soon isn't it…the anniversary?"

I still. "That may have something to do with it…" I trail off.

"Huh…" He grunts out before scratching the back of his head, "When are you going to let Naruto know…you can't hide it from him forever." He lets his hand fall before lazily matching my gaze, "As you get older it's going to be harder to hide. You know that."

An indifferent look enters my face before an amused smile replaces it. "Ahh…we're not talking about the anniversary anymore right?" I close my eyes before pulling my hat further down my face. "How long have you known?"

His eyes slightly narrow at my action, but he shrugs it off. "Remember the last time you visited your parents? It was when you fell on me. You covered it up pretty well, but I'm not as dense as Naruto." He admits tiredly before lowering his voice. "You should have let me know you were still alive."

The words struck a chord in my mind – telling me he was one of the faceless figures that often appeared when I thought of my past. Even so, I couldn't connect his face, his voice to any of the scattered scenes in my mind yet. Rather than clear anything up, the words merely hurt me. How could I have forgotten him? Why was it that I only remember Naruto? Who else have I forgotten? Allowing the thoughts to swim in my mind, I lift my gaze up to match his. His eyes didn't show any ill intentions: no hatred, no hostility… just compassion and slight sadness, I suppose. 'I guess I really couldn't hide it from him.' I thought slightly pained. Releasing a sigh, I look around the room in an attempt to buy time, noticing the apparent emptiness of the classroom, save for the two of us.

"Ahh… you're the genius. You should figure it out ne?" I finally respond with a teasing tone, causing an annoyed expression to enter his face. He knew of my situation; he knew I couldn't remember much from my past, so why did he say that if he knew the chances of me remembering him from my past were slim to none? Was I really that important to him? Now looking back, it wasn't exactly a difficult connection to draw – my past self and my current self. Same hair, same eyes, same name. Doesn't take a genius to figure out it's the same person. Or does it?

Shika sags on top of his desk, resting his chin over his arms. "Troublesome _woman_." He murmurs the last part but I catch it.

"Amarante Riku."

"Ahh… guess that's my cue." I comment before sliding my chair across the floor to get up. "See you later Shika and arigato." As I made my way out the door I didn't hear Shikamaru's answer.

_'Don't act like you're fine when you're not…troublesome woman.'_

~With Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei~

"Create three replicas and you'll pass, Riku." Iruka-sensei states as he looks up from his clipboard.

Nodding, I form the familiar hand sign before three shadow clones stand at my sides. Even if it wasn't the jutsu he asked for, their similarities in appearances would get me by. My gaze zeroes in on the three remaining headbands resting on the table.

'That means one person has already failed…' I realize as I clench my hands into fists.

"You pass Riku."

"Ahh? What was that Iruka-sensei?" I ask as I undo the jutsu, making the clones vanish in a cloud of smoke.

"You pass. Here's your headband." He congratulates as he holds out the headband to me before furrowing his brows. "Is there something bothering you? You don't usually space off this much." Iruka-sensei asks in genuine concern. I release the tension in my hands, driving the emotions further down the pits of my mind. 'Don't make people worry about you baka.'

Shaking my head slightly I take the headband. "It's nothing. Arigato, sensei." I bow in thanks before casting a glance across the table to see an odd gleam in Mizuki-sensei eyes. Warning bells go off in my mind before Ibiki's words play through my head.

_'A ninja must learn to hide one's intentions from observers. Many are unable to cover up clues to their motives, be it subtle changes in their facial expression, a shift in their eyes, a choice in words, or the like. Use that to your advantage and see through the deception. Never forget. It could protect those dear to you._'

'Why does Mizuki-sensei have that look? What is he planning…'

Shoving the observation to the back of my mind, I bid my farewell and leave the room to look for Naruto. 'Whatever I thought I saw… it can wait. Naruto comes first.'

Parents and newly promoted genin crowd the area, making it impossible to easily find Naruto (which is a difficult feat in itself seeing as orange really stands out). Seeing as I have yet to put on the headband, I tie it securely around my left arm, but it didn't leave me with any satisfaction. It's merely a stepping stone, a key to open the gateway to a cruel and unforgiving reality - something the other genin have yet to experience.

Shaking off the thoughts, I peer at the other students happily presenting their headbands to their parents as they receive praise and affection. I grit my teeth at the scene before trudging through the crowds to find my best friend.

'Where are you Naruto? Even if you didn't pass, we'll still be friends… where are you hiding?'

As I fall deeper and deeper into my thoughts, I fail to notice a body right in front of me – causing me to ram into said person. Releasing an annoyed grunt, I look up to see Sasuke glancing down at me with an unreadable expression. To be honest, I didn't expect him to stay back after the exam. Events such as these usually make him uncomfortable.

"Watch where you're going next time." He mutters before digging his hands into his pockets.

Nodding dully, I give him a quick bow. "Gomen ne Sasuke." I answer without a second glance before continuing my search from Naruto. The crowd seemed to have multiplied by the time I spot Naruto swaying slightly on the swing. 'This is getting ridiculous. At this rate, I won't reach him until I'm Ojii-san's age.' I thought exasperated.

"Naruto!"

At the sound of my voice, he looks up from the swing and glances my way. His eyes held many emotions: sadness, anger, betrayal, and …loneliness? Ignoring the growing glares from the parents, I make my way towards my friend.

"What is that child doing?"

"Haven't you heard? He's the child from that demonic clan. I heard they didn't even want him alive."

"Really? I heard it was his fault his clan's gone."

"Hmph. How could they let a child like that become a ninja!"

"Why is he even hanging around _that_ monster? They're just going to team up to harm us."

"Shh… you know we're forbidden to talk about them, especially about the Amarante clan."

'What are they talking about…demonic clan? Heh… haven't heard that in a long time.' A predatory grin stretches across my face. 'You would think they would be more creative after several years of this… not that I'm complaining. Still...' The grin slips off my face as my eyes narrow. 'They have no right to call him a monster... if anything they're the real monsters after all they've done to him.' Anger begins to pool in my gut, but I quickly push it away, knowing this wasn't the time or place to cause a scene.

I heave out a sigh as I pull my hat further down my face, creating a makeshift screen against the meaningless garble echoing around me. 'Breathe... just breathe...' The anger slowly ebbs away before the stiffness fades from my shoulders. Satisfied, I glance over at Naruto to see him talking to Mizuki-sensei, causing a frown to appear on my face. As their conversation continues, Naruto's expression quickly brightens before a determined look replaces it - causing a smirk to appear on Mizuki-sensei's face before he gestures toward the forest. Seeming to understand the cue, Naruto nods before darting into the forest.

Mizuki-sensei's soon follows, causing me to narrow my eyes. 'That look... just what did he pull?' I stop before the empty swing, gritting my teeth in annoyance as I scan the forest. 'I don't like this feeling...'

"Riku!"

I turn to the source to see Ojii-san motioning me over. Noticing the serious expression on his face, I quickly comply before seeing Iruka-sensei disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

He faces me with a grave expression. "It's about time we had our talk, don't you agree?"

**{~}**

~At the Hokage Tower~

"You want me to do nothing." I parrot, earning a nod in reply. I shake my head in response before lowering my hat over my eyes. "I can't accept that."

"And that is why you can't go after him."

I snap my gaze over to him before a snarl rips through my throat. "Just because I care for him - that's the reason I can't go after him?"

He nods sagely before taking another puff from his pipe, unperturbed by the anger directed his way. "Naruto knows you will accept him no matter what. So regardless of what happens tonight, he will still consider you a precious friend. But there's someone else he treasures who he's unsure about... regardless of what he says." Ojii-san stares down at his desk with a sigh.

Understanding he meant Iruka-sensei, I nod as the remaining anger disappears, only to be replaced with cold indifference. "Ne Ojii-san... the reason why everyone hates Naruto... the reason people call him a monster... is it because of what's inside him?"

Ojii-san screws his eyes shut before releasing a deep, tired sigh. "Where did you hear about it?"

"Ah... the villagers are not as tight-lipped as you wished them to be Ojii-san. Even if your decree was meant to protect him... you know deep down you can't really do much against the entire village. You alone can't change the ideas of the masses." I explain, knowing I hit a sore spot from the slight tightening of his jaw. "And that's why I've protected him my way. I don't care about what the villagers think of me... I'm only protecting what's precious to me, even if it draws me further and further back into the ROOT mindset."

"... Is that what Naruto wants?"

I still, matching Ojii-san's gaze with a blank one of my own.

"Probably not, but it's the vow I made when I found him again."

"Naruto's not the same little boy you met several year ago. He can take care of himself now. Shouldn't you give him more credit?"

I nod. "I do. I only interfere if people act on their hatred for him, not his stupidity."

Ojii-san sweat drops before shaking his head. "I...see... when will you tell Naruto who you are? The longer you wait, the more it will hurt him in the end."

'He's changing the subject again...' I thought before shrugging. "He shouldn't be lingering over a past memory. Besides, it's been years... what are the chances he would even remember her?"

"He wouldn't forget his first friend. You know this."

I narrow my eyes before scoffing. "She doesn't exist, not anymore."

He heaves out another sigh. "Are you sure you're not doubting Naruto now? You seemed confident about him several moments ago. After all, didn't you promise him that you'd still be his friend no matter the circumstances? How do you know he didn't offer you the same promise that day?"

I snap my gaze back to him – slightly put off by the information. "You were spying on us Ojii-san? I didn't think you upgraded to becoming a stalker." I comment with a slightly teasing tone.

"Riku-"

"Gomen ne. Gomen ne. I was joking." I wave off, allowing the playful tone to roll past my lips easily. "Besides, Shika already knows, so it's only a matter of time before Naruto finds out ne?"

"The Nara boy? Hm, I suppose but it would be better if you tell Naruto yourself before he finds out by accident."

"Ahh.. you're right as always*cough*notreally*cough*… but I wonder… will there be a moment where he won't need me anymore Ojii-san." I ask as a sad smile graces my face. "He wants to be acknowledged by everyone in this village. I'm not enough for him. I know that's selfish of me to say, but I don't want to lose him. The more people accept him, the less I am needed."

"He won't betray your trust and you shouldn't betray his either. He will need you, whether he knows it now or not. But now he needs to learn on his own. You can't keep holding his hand... he'll never grow that way."

"Ah... got it." I stuff my hands into my pockets before turning to the door. "Look after him tonight. I still have training to get to... after all, it's a full moon."

With that I leave the tower and make my way to the river near training ground 8. I glance up at the moon, taking in its energizing glow. 'It's time.'

"Hey gaki you're late!" I look to my right and I see Anko-sensei (AKA psycho-sensei) smirking at me.

I lower my head as a chuckle rumbles in a chest. "You're just early sensei~" I say teasingly.

"Don't use that tone with me gaki! Looks like I need to teach you where you stand as a genin." She warns as she takes out several senbon before an animalistic grin stretches across her face.

With that, our training began.

**{~}**

~One hour later~

"You're still wearing that get-up? When are you going to stop wearing boy clothes?" Anko asks as she sends her snakes at me.

"When you stop going after Iruka-sensei like one of Sasuke's fan girls." I retort blandly as I dodge her snakes.

"Wrong move gaki." More snakes appear from the tree and grab my arms and legs. "Not so high and mighty now huh? Looks like you need more training before you'll be able to best me."

I smirk as a blue ring encircles my pupils. "Ahh… as you've said before. It's not over until I'm dead." I look down at my bound hands and frown. 'Well guess there's no other choice. It's not sanitary but anything goes…' I bite the snake closest to my mouth. It didn't seem too pleased and disappears into smoke, probably in hopes that it could escape the insane biting genin. I bend the water from the lake and direct it at psycho-sensei in hopes of getting her attention. However, she was already gone. I shift to the right, barely avoiding a punch to the face. From there we engage in taijutsu until we hear a blood-curdling scream.

"Now what do you suppose that was gaki?"

"How should I know? Maybe it was Iruka-sensei when he found out you went inside his apartment to-"

"Say one more word gaki and I'll triple the weights you have on now." Anko whispers harshly in my ear as she presses her kunai near my neck. "Never let the opponent get behind you. I thought I taught you better than this."

*Eye twitch* "Sadistic snake."

"Flattery will get you no where gaki." Psycho-sensei adds as she twirls the kunai around her finger, "And since you so happen to have lost this match, you're treating me to dango next time I see you."

"Wonderful…" I reply sarcastically.

"Now that's the spirit gaki." She states with a bright smile before smacking me on the back. "Let's play with the giant scorpions in the Forest of Death for our next session. Until then." With that Anko disappears in a whirlwind of leaves. 'Why does everyone I know keep doing that?' I thought as I mentally sweat drop before stilling. 'Wait... giant scorpions?' I blink. 'Huh... guess they're still alive then. I doubt they'll be happy to see us again.' Smirking, I stuff my hands into my pockets before taking the long walk back to the apartment.

* * *

><p>~Next Day~<p>

I give Naruto a dry look. "Ne Naruto… are you sure you want to take a picture like that?"

"Of course I'm sure Riku. I spent three hours on this. I'm not going to let it all go to waste." He answers with his arms crossed.

"Well you heard him." I state with a careless shrug, "Take the picture. He'll live with whatever happens to him."

"As long as you don't blame me for this…" the photographer murmurs before snapping a shot of Naruto. At first I didn't expect to see Naruto here, but I suppose Ojii-san was right. Naruto had everything under control, but I can't help but feel like Naruto's growing up without me. We were always together since we first met, but the years caught up and we began to grow apart little by little. It's not a bad thing. Naruto's more independent. But his maturity level is still…

"What do you mean I have to retake the picture?!"

…the same as it was several years ago. We were in a meeting with Ojii-san and they have been arguing over this matter for several minutes. Eventually Naruto used his jutsu to transform into a naked female version of himself to give Ojii-san a nosebleed. 'Are all the guys here perverts or is it just hormones?' I thought as my eye twitched in annoyance.

"Baka." I state before lightly hitting him on the head. Naruto sends a pout in my direction while Ojii-san finishes cleaning up his nosebleed. Boredom eventually claims me seeing as I keep zoning in and out of the conversation. It wasn't until the door opened did I snap out of it.

"You old geezer! Fight me! The title of Fifth Hokage belongs to me, Konohamaru!" *slip*crash*

Naruto and I send the boy incredulous looks before sweat dropping.

'Guess things are going to get livelier around here.' I thought in amusement.

"Is this a trap?" Konohamaru asks wearily while rubbing his face.

"If by trap you mean slipping on the floor and making a complete fool of yourself then yes." I state while rubbing the back of my head distractedly. 'Probably got this habit from hanging around Naruto too much.'

"Who is this kid?" Naruto whispered in my ear.

"How should I know? Do I look like a mind reader?" I answered with a tired sigh. Seems like our conversation attracted unwanted attention since the kid started coming towards us.

"Hey it was you two wasn't it? You two tripped me!" He blames as he points a finger at the two of us.

"You just tripped on your own!" Naruto defends while pointing a finger towards the kid – mirroring Konohamaru.

"Ahh? Yeah, sure, it's just my dream to trip little kids who run around with a scarf the length of the floor. Your scarf had nothing to do with it." I state with an eye roll. Unfortunately the kid didn't understand sarcasm and the argument eventually escalated to a point where the kid was hanging by the scruff of his shirt several feet from the ground by Naruto. 'This is getting us nowhere and since when did I start acting like psycho-sensei? Guess she must be rubbing off on me…' I thought as I let out a tired sigh.

"Hey put him down! He's the Third Hokage's Grandson!" A man in shades orders.

'So that's it. He thinks nothing and no one can harm him since others have basically given him everything he's ever wanted. Time to knock him down a few pegs.' I thought before cracking my knuckles. Naruto and I glance at each other before a smirk appears on our faces.

"Hey what's wrong? How come you stopped when you heard about who I am? You're no match for a grandson of a Hokage!" He smugly proclaims.

"Like I care!" We yell in sync as we both punch the boy. It might have hurt a bit I suppose but he won't be able to be Hokage if he can't take two punches. The Hokage didn't seem the least bit shaken up by the event, while the other sensei looks though he would go into a seizure any minute. 'What's up with him? It's like he never seen something like this before. What was his name again…Ebisa? Ebisu…nah…well it wasn't that important anyway.'

Taking the sensei's eccentric behavior as our cue to leave, Naruto and I walk out of the room to calm down a bit before we did anything we would regret. As we walk down a street, we notice Konohamaru trailing us while he was under a box… with eye holes.

"Since when did the ground grow feet?" I murmur to Naruto.

"Lets' just ignore it. He'll probably stop soon."

I nod in acceptance as we continue on our way. However, it didn't seem like Konohamaru had any intention of stopping any time soon. Every time we glance back, he would switch his hiding spot (if you could even call it that) into something that could be best described as a sign saying 'I'm right here and I think you can't see me even though you can'. Eventually Naruto couldn't take any more of this nonsense.

"Why are you following us?!" Naruto exclaims, jutting his finger at the fence.

I glance back to see Konohamaru behind a tarp against the fence, only the tarp was sideways – making it painfully obvious someone was behind it. 'Baka.' *eye twitch*

"Nice job detecting me. I should have expected nothing less from the guy I've heard rumors about." He comments smugly as he lowers the tarp.

'What rumors.' I glance towards Naruto as I narrow my eyes. "Ne Naruto…you haven't been doing anything indecent behind my back, have you?" I question as I swing my arm across his shoulders.

*Gulp* Beads of sweat trail down his neck as his heart rate begins to pick up. "It's nothing Riku." He responds hastily as he tries to escape my grip, which only further adds to my suspicions. Konohamaru takes this chance to approach us until he's several feet away.

"Hey, I don't mind being your follower as long as you teach me that jutsu you used to defeat Ojii-san." He demands before pointing at the both of us.

"Stop joking around." Naruto replies as he crosses his arms.

"Don't say that please, Boss!" Konohamaru pleads.

'He seems desperate. What does he have to prove?' I glance at Naruto and see the shock on his face. 'Seems like trouble has found Naruto again, but this could be good for him. He needs someone to look up to him. Knowing Naruto, he won't let this chance slip by.'

I clamp a hand on his shoulder, earning his attention. "I'm going on ahead. I have some things I have to do and will catch up with you later in about two hours."

"Eh? But how are you going to know where I am?"

I give him a blank look.

"It's not too difficult to spot orange. Now, don't teach Konohamaru anything weird." I call back as I head to the Hokage tower, not waiting for a reply.

**{~}**

~At the Hokage Tower~

"Ojii-san."

"Riku. I see you're in a good mood?" Ojii-san asks with amusement lingering in his voice before he smokes his pipe.

"Ahh… you did say that you needed me to take another photo right?" I answer with a careless shrug.

He sends me a curious glance. "You're happy because you get to dress up like a girl again?"

I send him a sly smile. "Yup."

He merely chuckles and tells me to go change in the bathroom, while he calls for the photographer.

**{~}**

**(Third Person Perspective)**

As Riku enters the bathroom, he glances at the mirror.

"The same blue hair and silver eyes…" he mutters to himself.

In that moment, Riku takes off the hat to reveal cascading waves of blue hair that eventually stops at the hips.

"I've missed seeing myself like this… well, Anko did say she wanted me to act more like a girl." Riku chuckles in a feminine voice.

Riku has been disguising herself as a boy for as long as she can remember. Everything started on the day of the massacre. Under Danzo's care, she had to relinquish all ties to her humanity, all ties to her weakness as Danzo called it, starting with her identity as a worthless female (again a title given to her through Danzo). Then began her slow dehumanization into the perfect tool but before things were complete, she lost it... lost all control, lost all the teachings ingrained into her skull since her reeducation of the meaning of her existence. And not a moment too soon, for that was the driving force the Hokage needed to regain guardianship with the begrudging acceptance of the rest of the council.

With such a damaged mentality, she was a liability, a danger, but most of all, she was a broken child who could no longer make sense of the world. Ibiki's task to repair such a thing was nowhere near simple and he found her past teachings - disguising herself as a boy, detaching herself from the rest of the world, reigning in her emotions to the deepest recesses of her mind - were the first steps for recovery. Once stabilized, Anko quickly snatched the child, taking her under her wing as she taught her the wonder of games, bringing a spark of child-like enjoyment back into those empty eyes of hers. But that thought process soon morphed into a coping mechanism riddled with worrisome consequences Anko merely shrugged off (at Ibiki's annoyance). By then, Kakashi minor training sessions had disappeared - a harsh blow to Riku's trust in him. As more time passed, there was no longer a need to masquerade as a boy, but even so, the persona remained. The rouse was to end once she graduated to genin, seeing as her training would have prepared her to face the world as herself. But could she shed away the persona that's preserved her sanity, her safety?

She trails a hand at her reflection, taking in the image before her as a dullness enters her eyes. Dark thoughts swim in her head before she blinks out of them, allowing a small, weak smile to appear on her face. "Heh... I'm still as flat as a washboard..." Her smile widens before she lets out an amused chuckle. "Not like I'm complaining. Nothing gets in the way." She murmurs to retract herself from her stewing thoughts. She had already taken off her black and yellow jacket to reveal a purple tank top with a green zip up vest. Glancing down, Riku removes her gloves and begins to unroll the bandages coating her forearms from yesterday's training. Her weights clunk to the ground, leaving medium-sized craters in their wake.

"Psycho-sensei increased them again eh…"

Ignoring the damage made to the floor, Riku removes her loose tan shorts to reveal black shorts that stop around mid-thigh. She keeps the wraps on her calves and readjusts the weights under her forearm guards to hide them from sight. Glancing at the table, she takes her belt and clips it in a slanted fashion around her hips. Attached to the belt were several different pouches containing kunai, shiriken, scrolls, explosive tags, senbons, and a medium sized water gourd. The water gourd was located near the left hip as the other pouches were more towards her sides and back. Her kunai holster was still located on her right thigh. Before leaving the room, she ties her hair into pigtails. As she looks at her own reflection, a small smile spreads across her lips.

"I wonder how Naruto would react if he saw me like this." The girl silently asks as she exits the room.

**{~}**

~With the Hokage~

"It's been years since I've seen you like that." Ojii-san comments fondly as he looks up from his desk.

"Well… Anko-sensei wanted me to wear more feminine clothes so she gave me these. Much more conservative than her usual choices..." Riku answers with a shrug.

"I ...see. Wouldn't it be easier if you simply told Naruto that you were the girl he met several years ago? Though your choice to hide your gender was understandable, I think it's time you tell him."

Her bangs shroud her eyes before a moment before a small chuckle escapes her lips. "Who said life was supposed to be easy Ojii-san? Besides, we made a deal. Naruto has to find out on his own for me to go back to being a girl." Riku replies before facing him with a smirk, "Though, it is fun to tease and tor- I mean play with him."

"Anko may be rubbing off on you too much Riku." Ojii-san comments with a shake of his head before continuing, "Well, once we take your picture you can go back to dressing as a boy."

"Hmm… alright. See you later Ojii-san."

As Riku leaves the room, she fails to notice the Hokage deep in thought.

'Riku, you know you can't keep hiding from everyone with that persona of yours. It would be better if you reveal your identity now before things get worse. I can't always be there for you. Naruto will accept you when he finds out, but I'm afraid the more you prolong the inevitable, the worse Naruto and you will feel. This isn't the only obstacle you will have to go through…' He thought sadly before glancing back into the crystal ball to watch Naruto's training session with Konohamaru.

"What is he teaching my grandson?" *sweat drop*

**{~}**

~After the picture~

**(First person perspective)**

"Ojii-san I finished taking the picture."

"Hm… alright. All your paperwork seems to be in order now." Ojii-san states as he shifts through the papers before looking up at me. "Riku before you go, answer this question. Why are you so against revealing yourself to Naruto?"

I let out a small chuckle. "Ahh…it's not that I'm completely against it Ojii-san. It's more that I don't want to let go of what I already have with him. When he sees me, he sees me as his best guy friend who's sadistic, protective, and supportive of him. If he learns that I'm not who I say I am he wouldn't see me as me anymore. He would see me as a stranger."

"I don't think you're giving Naruto enough credit. Though Naruto has suffered abuse as a child because of the nine-tails sealed within him, you were one of the few who cared for him. He may take it badly at first but he will understand and see you for who you are. The longer you drag this out, the more it will hurt him. Also, what about that Nara boy? Did he act any differently when he found out?"

"Well…Shika is Shika. He didn't change his attitude towards me at all. It seemed like he was trying to help me more than usual, which is saying a lot for Shikamaru." I state with a small smile before it quickly falls, "He even hinted a past connection to me, but I don't quite remember him yet."

"I see." Ojii-san strokes his chin in thought before releasing a sigh, "I won't force you to reveal yourself to Naruto, but I suggest you take a chance. You never know what will happen."

"You're right, but if I just flat out tell him things would be boring. I'm going to make sure I get as much enjoyment from this as possible. Arigato Ojii-san."

As I went to the next room to change I hear Ojii-san muttering, "She's starting to become a mini Anko…"

**{~}**

~Training Ground Three~

'I wonder what Naruto has gotten himself into this time. He usually finds trouble by now if I'm not mistaken.' As I enter the training grounds, I see Naruto dog piling on the sensei we saw several hours ago, only all the clones were naked female versions of himself.

*eye twitch* 'I go away for two hours and this is what I find. Naruto…what am I going to do with you?' I thought exasperated.

"I call that my Harem jutsu!" Naruto yells proudly.

"Baka." I say as I went behind him to lightly hit him on the head.

"Oi since when did you get here Riku?" He asks as he rubs his head.

"When you were trying to rape that sensei." I deadpan.

"Hehe." Naruto laughs awkwardly as he rubs the back of his head.

"Hey!" We both look at Konohamaru.

"I don't want to be your pupil anymore. From now on we're rivals." He states as he points toward Naruto before facing me. "And you. Riku was it? Don't think I forgave you for hitting me. From now on, we'll be rivals too. I won't let you get the best of me again."

My eyes widen at his words before a smirk appears on my face. "Sure kid. Let the best ninja win." I reply before shaking his hand.

"One day we'll fight for the title of Hokage. Believe it." Naruto agrees as he shakes hands with Konohamaru.

'Looks like Naruto has made another friend. And me as well.' I thought as I look towards the setting sun.

* * *

><p>~Time skip: Next Day~<p>

~Dream Sequence/ Memory play~

**(Third person perspective)**

_Two boys are seen relaxing in the warmth of the sunlight. They are around eight years of age and appear to be close. The silence is rare between the two and it doesn't take long for the blond-haired boy to disrupt the silence._

"_Ne ne Riku why do you always wear that hat?"_

"_Ahh…I don't see why you're interested…it's just a hat."_

"_But you never take it off. What are you hiding? Are you hiding a secret in there? Weapons? Or is it-"_

"_Scars" Riku puts simply._

"_Scars? But wouldn't your hair cover it up?" _

"_The top of my head is bald." Riku deadpans._

"_Ehh? You're bald?"_

"_No. Where did you get that?" Riku asks as he quirks an eyebrow in Naruto's direction._

"_But didn't you just say that?"_

"_Well I did say one accurate thing… but I don't feel like telling you which one it is. Think of this as a game. You like games right?"_

_*sweat drop* Why won't you just tell me? We're friends rights?"_

"_Of course. But nothing in life is free. You have to earn it ne?" He states as he pulls his hat down over his eyes._

_In that instant the blond-haired boy tackles the blue haired boy in hopes of knocking off the hat. This goes on for several more minutes until the blue-haired boy gets fed up and kicks his friend off. _

"_You have to do better than that Naruto-kun." The younger boy taunts as he flips their positions and pins Naruto's arms down. _

"_No fair Riku. You're fatter than me." Naruto yells._

"_What does that have to do with anything…" Riku sighs out before letting Naruto go. As Riku turns around to walk away, Naruto charges at the younger boy's back. _

"_Ah ha I got it!" Naruto exclaims triumphantly. "Oi why is your hat all fuzzy? Ow ow… when did it get claws!" _

_Before Naruto could grab the hat, Riku had replaced himself with the brown tabby in the nearby tree. Riku looks down and smiles softly at Naruto before letting out a laugh towards his best friend's misfortune. After the incident, they begin to walk toward their respective apartments. _

"_Ne Naruto. We'll always be like this right?"_

"_What are you talking about Riku? Of course we'll be friends forever."_

~Dream Sequence/Memory Play End~

* * *

><p>~In Riku's apartment~<p>

**(First Person Perspective)**

'Why am I remembering this now? It was several years ago.' I rub the sleep out of my eyes and change into my regular outfit.

[AN: Riku wears her _female outfit_ under her guy clothes. The belt is still there with the pouches and gourd. She wears a black jacket with yellow stripes near the zipper and near the top of the sleeves. (Jacket and hat are similar to what Tatsumi wear from Ar Tonelico) Her tan baggy pants are over her black shorts and her calves are still bandaged. I'm still going to refer to Riku as a guy most of the time since she's still pretending to be a boy.]

Afterwards I prepare some breakfast and make some onigiri for lunch before placing it in one of my empty pouches. 'Naruto should be up by now.' I thought before walking next door to find it unlocked. 'He still doesn't lock his door. Not like it matters much... we're the only people living in this complex anyway.' I sigh as I walk in to find Naruto eating ramen.

"Morning Naruto. Ready for today?" I ask as I rub the rest of the sleep out of my eyes.

"Don't … you… know… it." He replies between slurps.

A small smile creeps along my face as I glance down at the headband on my left arm. 'Things are going to get interesting soon…'

~Time skip to the Academy~

Naruto was slouched against the desk with a goofy grin on his face. I was simply leaning back with my hat over my eyes next to Naruto. 'I hope it stays this quiet… but I feel like something will happen today…'

"Why are you here? Today's explanatory meeting is only for those who graduated."

I glance over and see Shika talking to Naruto. Grinning from ear to ear, Naruto begins to ramble on about how the headband looks on him. Annoyance coats Shika's expression before he glances at me – giving me a look saying 'Get me out of this.' I merely place a finger on my lips and pull my hat further down my eyes. A groan escapes his lips, causing me to let out a small chuckle in response. Hey, Naruto deserves to have some attention given to him; Shika just so happened to be in the right place at the right time (for Naruto that is). As I lean back more I see Hinata shyly gazing at Naruto before quickly averting her gaze as her eyes lock onto mine. 'It seems like you have an admirer Naruto. You might not really need me that much anymore…' I thought with a slight scowl before allowing a mask of indifference to cover my face. Shoving the thoughts to the back of my mind, I close my eyes in an attempt to get some more sleep before the meeting starts.

"GOAL!" Sakura and Ino yell out – abruptly waking me from my short nap.

"Guess my nap's over." I murmur as I rub the rest of the sleep from my eyes.

I turn my head and notice Sasuke looking at me before shifting his gaze back to the front of the room.

'What's up with him? Maybe he was looking at where the commotion was? He couldn't have been looking at me, could he? First yesterday…now today… he never noticed me before… why now? Man, I'm overthinking this…' I rub the back of my head before sending a careless glance at Naruto, only to sweat drop at the love-sick expression on his face.

"Ahh… he's at it again." I say to no one in particular. It was obvious Naruto held affections for Sakura, though I don't remember how, why, or when it started. It seemed as if he had always had affections for her. Personally, I don't really mind the girl; she was one of the few that would still interact with me after that one incident, though she did keep her distance, not that I minded. She's book smart, I'll give her that, but seems oblivious to everyone around her except Sasuke and Ino. Her ignorance will hurt her one day, but it'll help her grow, I suppose. As she glances toward my seat, hearts appear in her eyes.

'Ahh… looks like I'll get a show.' I thought as an amused smile creeps onto my face.

"Baka. You should be careful Naruto." I state before placing my feet on the desk.

"Eh? What do you mean by that?" A confused expression enters his face, causing me to release a small chuckle.

"Just sit back and watch the show, Naruto." I answer before pulling my hat lower over my eyes.

As Sakura gets closer and closer to the desk, I can feel Naruto's excitement coming off of him in waves. Naruto gets up from his seat to wave to Sakura, only to be roughly shoved out of the aisle. Seeing her desire to approach Sasuke, I remove my feet from the table so that Sakura could have a chance to talk to said guy. Don't say I don't help people. Sakura slightly glances my way before giving Sasuke her full attention.

'Was that fear in her eyes or something else?' I shrug off the look, seeing as it wasn't important.

After Sakura asks Sasuke if she could sit next to him, other girls begin to crowd around the table – all fighting for the seat that I was currently seated in.

'Can they not see me sitting here or what?' I let out a sigh before glancing at him from the corner of my eye.

"I feel for you."

"Hn. You have no idea."

Before I know it, I see Naruto squatting on the desk several centimeters from Sasuke's face. The girls begin yelling at him and I swear I see sparks fly between Naruto and Sasuke… and not the good kind. 'They must really hate each other… but then again, I'm not going to let this moment go to waste.'

"Ahh… Naruto. I didn't know you swung that way." I question with a bored expression on my face before a smirk quickly replaces it. "If you get any closer, I might get jealous."

A blush forms on Naruto face as cries of disbelief could be heard from the other students, mainly the female population. "Ehh? That's not…" Naruto trails off before flailing his arms, "It's not that I…Riku you don't understand I-"

Before Naruto could finish his sentence, the boy sitting behind Naruto elbows him forward.

'Cue kissing noises.'

When I said I was expecting a show, I didn't think it would turn out this well. Sasuke and Naruto were kissing. I try to hold in my laughter but Naruto's face didn't just make it any easier. I burst into a fit of laughter while Naruto and Sasuke make gagging noise.

"Is that my fault?" The boy asks himself.

"Pretty much… but … so …. worth it." I reply between laughs. 'How long has it been since I've laughed like this...'

"I-It's not funny Riku!" Naruto yelled between his coughs. "My mouth's going to rot…"

"I'll kill you Naruto…" Sasuke vows as he wipes his mouth with his fist.

'It's been too long...'

Catching my breath, I glance up at the two in ill-disguised amusement. "Ahh… now you two don't have to worry about your first kiss anymore. You should be thanking each other."

"Shut up Riku." They both glare in my direction, which I merely shrug off. I glance at the other spectators to see a wave of killer intent wafting through the room.

"Ahh… Naruto I would run if I were you."

"Huh what do you mean?" He asks as he finishes wiping away the 'Sasuke germs' from his mouth.

"Turn around and find out yourself."

Naruto freezes once he feels the menacing aura attacking his back in waves. He hesitantly turns around to come face to face with an army of infuriated fan girls. 'He won't die from this and Ojii-san did say I need to let him fight his own battles.'

"Good luck." With that, I pull my hat over my eyes before listening to the sound of several punches making contact with Naruto. Afterwards Iruka-sensei comes into the room to start the meeting.

"Starting today, you are all official ninjas, but…you are all still new genin. It's going to get harder from here. You all will be in a group of three, where you will accomplish missions under a Jounin instructor."

Iruka-sensei takes a slight pause as the class begins to whisper amongst themselves for several seconds. I didn't mind who would be on my team as long as I was with Naruto. I glance behind me and see Shika looking bored. He catches my glance and points to a ledge out the window. I nod, agreeing that I would meet up with him there. I face the front of the room as Iruka-sensei continues to talk.

"We've arranged the groups such that overall abilities are equivalent. I will now announce them."

I close my eyes as I listen to the names Iruka-sensei calls out.

"Team Seven…

Uzumaki Naruto…

Haruno Sakura…"

"Yes!" Naruto shouts as he leaps up in his seat.

"Uchiha Sasuke …"

"Yes!" Sakura exclaims as Naruto slumps in his seat.

"And Amarante Riku."

Many look my way: some showing confusion, while others, curiosity. 'They're probably wondering why there's a fourth member on this team.' Naruto looks in my direction and smiles slightly but I could tell he was still upset with having Sasuke as a teammate. Finally Iruka-sensei finishes calling out the teams.

"Oi Iruka-sensei! Why is a top student like me in a group with this guy?" Naruto exclaims as he points in Sasuke's direction.

"Sasuke graduated with the highest scores and you, Naruto, graduated with the lowest. This happens because we want to evenly divide abilities between the groups."

"Ahh.. but then why am I on this team then? I thought you said it was groups of three."

"I was getting to that…" He lets out a frustrated sigh. "Since Naruto had the lowest scores, we had to balance it out with two of the top students. It's an unusual case since we usually get an even number of genin graduates but we did the best we can."

"Don't pull my leg dobe." Sasuke mutters.

"What did you say teme?!"

"You want to fight?" Sasuke asks in an attempt to bait Naruto.

"Naruto. Calm down. You won't get lunch if you don't." I interrupt.

"Tch. Fine." Naruto says before sitting down with a slight pout.

Iruka-sensei merely sighs at our antics and tells us that he will introduce the Jounins after the break. As everyone begins to leave, I grab Naruto's sleeve to tell him to wait for a bit. As more of the students clear out, I hand him some of the onigiri I prepared in the morning.

"Here. Why don't you share some with Sakura? I'm going to go meet up with Shika so I'll see you after break."

Naruto just smiles before rushing out the door before I could take a step. 'Huh. He's fallen for her hard.'

**{~}**

~Riku's meeting at the ledge with Shika, Ino, and Chouji~

**(Third Person Perspective)**

Riku takes his time as he jumps across the roof tops to meet up with Shikamaru. He seems lost in thought and doesn't notice Naruto sitting on the water tower he passes by. It is highly possible the young boy did notice Naruto's mischievous smirk and chose to let him be to see how things will play out.

Shikamaru glances back as he hears Riku land behind him. Ino was still ordering around Shikamaru and Chouji but it seemed as if neither were truly listening to the blonde. Shikamaru nods in Riku's direction and continues to eat his onigiri. Riku follows suit and eats his onigiri as well. Seeing the curious glances sent from his teammates, Shikamaru sighs before introducing Riku to his teammates. Riku smiles half-heartedly and introduces himself in a charming manner quite unlike his normal character. Oblivious to the rouse played out by the blue-haired boy, Ino slightly blushes at the gesture before she continues to eat. However Shikamaru notices the fake smile and uncharacteristic behavior and takes note to ask him about it later.

"Naruto?" At the sound of the boy's name, Riku's head snaps to the left to see the orange-clad boy sneaking near the side of the building below. A blue ring appears on his irises before a smirk adorns his face once he deactivates the Bikoume.

"Things are going to get more interesting around here…" Riku mutters to Shikamaru sends him a confused glance in response.

"Just watch."

Naruto tackles Sasuke as he closes the window – blocking the rest of the scene from curious onlookers.

"Damn it Naruto. You better not hurt Sasuke." Ino warns as she clenches her fists.

Shouts and crashes could be heard from outside. However, none of this seemed to have any effect on Riku. It seemed that the longer the noises were dragged out, the bigger his smirk grew.

"What happened?" Ino asked. In that moment, a figure exits the window with a smirk on his face before running off.

"Naruto must have gotten beaten instead." Shikamaru answers.

"Of course, Naruto is no match for Sasuke-kun." Ino concludes confidently.

"Ah..." Riku says softly before finishing off his food. "But that outcome would be boring..." He finishes, though only Shikamaru is the only one to catch it.

"It's all about entertainment for you huh?" Shikamaru murmurs with a sigh. "It makes things troublesome."

The smirk on Riku's face grows. "I know, but things are never dull for me. This case is the same."

"Huh?"

Riku pushes off from the railing, eyes trained on the open window. "It's about time we all head back... the break's almost over, isn't it?"

Noticing the shift in Riku's behavior, Shikamaru sends his friend a curious gaze before noticing the odd gleam in his eyes. 'That look... how annoying.' Shikarmaru thought with a sigh, knowing he could do nothing to snap his friend out of whatever crazy plan he had.

"Yeah... guess we better head back." Shikamaru murmurs as he steers a protesting Ino and a confused Chouji down the stairs.

"Hey, what's the big idea Shikamaru!"

"Troublesome women..."

"But what about Riku?" Chouji murmurs between bites.

"Not our problem."

When the others are out of earshot, his smirk widens.

"Let the games begin…Naruto."

**{~}**

**(First person perspective)**

As the sound of footsteps finally fade, I head over to open window before stifling the laughter bubbling in my chest at the sight of a bound and gagged Sasuke wiggling on the ground. The noise catches his attention and he directs a glare my way.

"Ne ne no need to be so hostile." I pull off the tape from his mouth. "Do you need some help?"

He looks away and mutters something.

"Hmm? Gomen ne. I can't hear you." I reply with a sadistic smirk.

"Yes." His tone was harsh and clipped – signaling his escalating annoyance in his current situation. 'Wounded pride huh...' Shrugging, I toss the kunai at the binds, freeing him.

Tossing away the cut rope, he sends me a glance. "Where's Naruto?"

"Ahh… no thank you?" I ask while I stuff my hands into my pockets.

"Hn. I don't have time for this." He brushes past me and makes his way over to the window.

"Why don't I show you?" He stills. "Break is going to end soon and I'm in the mood for some entertainment." I finish with a nonchalant shrug.

"Hn. To think that you're his friend."

The words bring a smirk to my face. "Oh I am. But he still needs to beat my game before he becomes my real friend."

Sasuke looks at me curiously but says nothing as we continue to walk back to the Academy. Eventually Sakura comes into view and what happens next was unexpected to say the least.

"Sasuke-kun you shy guy! Are you ready now? 'Cause I am!" Her words cause my eye to twitch in annoyance as I piece together what had transpired in my absence.

'Naruto…what did you do? You can't get a girl to like you by pretending to be another guy…' Well if things are like this, then it's better to play it out from here.

"Ahh... I didn't know you felt that way towards Sakura, Sasuke. Why are you hesitating? Just pretend I'm not here and kiss her. You already have some experience in that field if I recall correctly." I state with an amused smile.

Sasuke's eye slightly twitches before he glares my way. "You know that wasn't me."

I send him a careless shrug. "No duh. But I'm taking advantage of the free entertainment."

He simply shakes his head before asking Sakura where Naruto was.

"Changing the subject again? Forget about Naruto. All he does is pick fights with you. It's probably because he's had such an irregular childhood. Oh yeah, you know he doesn't have parents right?"

I still, feeling the familiar pooling of anger in my stomach.

'Just remain calm... just breathe.' I repeat in my head, not helping the growl reverberating in my throat.

"He's always doing selfish things. My parents would scold me if I did what Naruto has done."

As her rants continue, the bubbling anger continues to reach a boiling point, just centimeters from spilling over the rim. Tightening my fists, I watch the two, noticing the growing scowl on Sasuke's face with each of her scathing, naive words. His hands continue to clench tighter and tighter, showing the protruding veins wrapping around his arms. I close my eyes as I let out a heavy sigh, knowing I had to calm down before I maimed my teammate. Wouldn't be the best first impressions, now would it? Letting out a cold chuckle, I loosen my fist - swiping a small shuriken from my holster before gripping it tightly in my palm, allowing the stabbing pain to distract me long enough to reign in my emotions. Blood begins to bleed through my glove before slowly dripping off my knuckles.

I stare at Sakura blankly as her eyes widen at the sight of the blood dripping on the ground, momentarily stopping her in the middle of her rant.

"Eh Riku-kun, you're-"

"How could you understand Naruto? You talk like you know how it feels to be alone Sakura." I ask, tilting my head curiously to the side. "Being shunned because you are different. Having everyone look at you as if you were a monster... that's how it is for him... for us, but you wouldn't know that, would you?" I let out a cold chuckle. "That feeling compares to nothing."

Fear flashes across her face before she takes a small step back.

"The solitude…You can't even compare it to the level where your parents are mad at you." Sasuke adds harshly. "You're annoying."

With that Sasuke begins to walk away as I watch Sakura's dumbstruck face.

"Sakura." She slightly jumps at my voice before glancing at me with a wary look in her eyes. "You're a bright girl right?"

She nods stiffly.

"Then learn from this. Ignorance doesn't suit you at all." I add with a smirk before a jolt runs down my spine and I send the shuriken through the tree, only to hear a thunk as it lands against bark.

'Someone was there...'

Shrugging off my suspicions, I turn back to Sakura who continues to eye me warily. "I don't understand you." I finally say, breaking the silence between us. "Why do you vie for the attention of someone you know nothing about to a point where you would give up someone you were close to?"

She stiffens before a frown enters her face. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah... it's probably nothing then." I shake my head. "I envy you sometimes, Sakura."

"What a-?"

"Ja ne."

I send her a careless wave as I walk back to the classroom, noticing in surprise Sasuke leaning against the wall in the hall. He looks at me curiously before walking off, his silent cue to follow. Shrugging off my surprise, I follow, noticing his glances at my hand, though he says nothing. Eventually we find Naruto running out of the bathroom who glances at Sasuke in surprise.

"Oi how did you escape the ropes?" Naruto asks before warily taking a step back.

"I simply cut them." Sasuke answers nonchalantly.

"Ahh… I never would have guessed it Sasuke-kun." I mutter blandly, only to be ignored.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu! I'm going to show you that I'm great by defeating you Sasuke! Prepare yourself!" Naruto exclaims as an onslaught of Naruto clones flies towards Sasuke.

"Why does it seem like this will end badly?" I mutter to myself as I calmly glance at the Naruto clones. Sasuke gets into a stance but before any fighting can occur, all the Naruto clones get a stomachache. Gripping their stomachs in pain, they all crowd around the restroom door – fighting and arguing on who should go first.

I stare at the scene blankly before shaking my head and making my way to the classroom with Sasuke in tow, knowing Naruto didn't even notice I was there in the first place.

We walk in a comfortable silence with only the sound of our footsteps echoing in the halls. I glance down at my hand, noticing the dried crust of blood coating the glove. 'Might have held it a bit too hard.' I conclude before allowing it to rest calmly at my side. It isn't long before I lift my hand up to catch the object flying at my head. Blinking in confusion, I lower my hand to see a roll of bandages before glancing over at Sasuke to see his hand still outstretched.

I stare at the bandages blankly before tossing it back at him. "Don't need it." I mutter, earning a scowl in response before a hand clamps on my elbow. "If that somehow interferes in one of our missions this week, you'll be a liability."

"Ah..." I nod in understanding before pulling off my glove and showing him the blood-encrusted hand. "It already healed." I explain dully, noticing the look of disbelief sent my way. "But I'll still wrap it if it makes you feel better." I tease, earning a glare in response.

He shakes his head before offering me the bandages. "I don't see how you're one of the top graduates."

I nod dully before messily tying the bandages around my hand, ignoring his disapproving glance. I toss him back the roll before noticing his hand around my wrist.

"You're such a little kid." He murmurs as he adjusts the bandages before stuffing his hands into his pockets and makes his way to the classroom. "At least do it properly."

I quirk a brow at his behavior. "Ah... arigato."

He doesn't reply, returning us to our peaceful silence.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hopefully I didn't make Sasuke seem too out of character. But I thought that he would be a bit nicer to Riku since they both share a similar past and Sasuke could relate to him.<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review. Till next time. (^.^)**

**(Edited 2/27/14)**


	3. Chapter 3: The Bell Test

-Chapter 3: The Bell Test-

**AN: Thank you to those who have been reading this or have just glanced through. It would help if I got some feedback so I know what to fix and what not to do in the rest of my story. Sorry if my OC seems a bit off or like a mary-sue. It seems to be on the borderline at this point. But I'll try to make it more interesting as the story progresses. **

*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 2)*

**{~}**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

**{~}**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante.**

* * *

><p>~Inside a classroom~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

"He's late!" Naruto cries before slumping against the door and releasing a long, drawn out groan.

Sighing at his antics, Sakura sends him a tired glance. "Naruto... why don't you just sit down?" She asks before rubbing her eyes.

"Pfft. Yeah right." I mutter to myself, leaning further back into the seat and propping my legs onto the nearby desk. 'Naru's not the type to just sit still. Don't really think he knows how.'

I doubt anyone heard me, seeing as I sat in the furthest corner of the room. Even if we're now a team, being a team doesn't mean I had to spend every waking minute with them. I hardly knew them, with the exception of Naruto of course and after the little incident with Sakura, I wanted little to do with her. Oh, I'll be civil, but in terms of actually bonding... not likely. Sasuke... I suppose I have no complaints. He's skilled but in terms of working as a team... that probably won't happen.

'Actually, he might later on...' I correct as I glance down at my bandaged hand. 'He's capable of worrying over his teammates after all...'

Whatever the case, I still can't shake this odd sense of familiarity I have of him. It could be nothing... but something tells me otherwise. Don't ask me what. That's a question I can't answer.

Tipping my hat up slightly, I spare a glance at the others huddled in the front of the room, noticing signs of their growing impatience. The most obvious is Naruto, seeing as he continues to peer into the hallway. Sakura continues to sigh at her feet whereas Sasuke just stares at the door from his seat, hands folded under his chin.

'If it's really him then he's probably watching us somewhere...' I thought as I glance around the classroom for any possible clues on his whereabouts, only to find none. 'Looks like he hasn't grown senile. Guess that much hasn't changed.' I thought bitterly before scoffing. 'He can still disappear whenever he wants to...'

Naruto lets out another groan. "Why is our sensei the only one late? All the other groups have already met their sensei and left the room. Even Iruka-sensei went home!" He cries as he waves his arms to vent his frustration.

"That's not important." Sakura waves off before glancing back at Naruto. "Hey... what are you doing Naruto?" She pushes herself off the desk to observe his handiwork.

I watch blankly as Naruto balances on a chair to wedge a chalk eraser between the sliding door and frame. 'Ah... about time. I'm surprised he held back this long. His patience has gotten better.' I muse before sliding deeper into the chair and letting out a sigh. 'Still... if Kaka-san really is our sensei... he's going to let the eraser hit him just to screw with us.. that is, if he's still the same as before.'

Hopping down from the chair, Naruto sends Sakura a mischievous grin. "It's his fault for being late." He defends, earning a disapproving glance from Sakura.

She crosses her arms. "Geez Naruto, you need to stop fooling around."

I roll my eyes, knowing she didn't quite mean it. 'Probably wanted to do it herself.' I thought.

Sasuke shoots Naruto a bland look. "A jounin isn't going to fall for a plain old booby trap like that."

"Ah.. true, but he's not boring like other jounin." I mutter in amusement before noticing a hand grabbing the partially opened door. 'About time.' The gloved hand slowly pulls the door to the side before...

*Bonk*

The eraser bounces off a tuff of silver hair, leaving a small chalk cloud before clattering uselessly to the ground.

The room turns deathly silent before Naruto shakes until a fit of laughter overtakes any self-restraint he had (which wasn't much to begin with anyway).

"HAHA He actually fell for it!" Naruto cries out happily while clutching his stomach.

"Ah... so you're finally back." I whisper as I survey the scene before me with a bitter smile. 'How long will it be before you disappear again...?' I thought, pulling the tip of my hat further down my face. 'Are you just going to end up leaving again... just like the others?'

"Gomennasai sensei. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen to me." Sakura pleads half-heartedly.

Ignoring her, Kaka-sensei subtly glances my way while the others silently mull around in their own thoughts.

I match his gaze with a blank look. "Finally done running away?" I ask softly, causing the jounin to wince slightly. I tighten my grip on my hat, feeling slightly ashamed for letting the bitterness into my voice. 'What am I doing... acting like a spoiled brat. He had his reasons I guess... whatever they were... but he's here now so that's all that matters...' I try to reason despite the bitter resentment bubbling in my gut.

I shake my head before offering him a sheepish smile, though slightly forced. "Welcome back." I mouth before directing my gaze to the others and placing a finger to my lips, telling him to stay silent about our past relationship, no matter how short it was. His shoulders visibly relax as he sends me a sheepish eye smile, promising to explain later, before reverting back to his unamused look when he faces Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.

"How should I say this…my first impression of you all… I hate you." He deadpans, causing an awkward silence to envelop the small group.

"Ah how sweet..." I call out, earning the attention of the others. "We love you too sensei~." I tease, earning incredulous glances from my teammates, but I didn't care. Shrugging off their looks, I make my way to the front to join the rest of my team with a smirk adorning my face.

'Another observer in this game…how fun…'

**{~}**

~To the roof~

We file onto the roof before taking a seat on the steps. Sakura sits between Sasuke and Naruto whereas I take a seat two steps behind them before propping an elbow on my bent knee, allowing the other to straighten slightly.

"Let's see," Kaka-sensei muses as he rubs his chin, "why don't you all introduce yourselves?" He suggests as he casually sits on the railing.

Sakura sends him a confused glance. "What are we supposed to say sensei?"

"Things about yourself such as your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams... or something like that." He waves off dismissively.

"Ehh?" Naruto sends him a bland look. "Sensei, why don't you go first?" He asks.

Kaka-sensei stares at Naruto blankly. "Me?" He points to himself in question before heaving out a sigh.

'Ah... you look like you'd rather kill yourself...' I observe with a sweat drop.

Conceding, he answers, "I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no intention of telling you my likes and dislikes. My dreams…I haven't really thought of them." He pauses as he glances up in thought. "I have lots of hobbies." He finishes while he strokes his chin.

I shake my head at his answer. 'Ah... Still the same Kaka-san.' I thought sadly, partially glad he didn't change much after all this time. He's still the same scarecrow despite his little disappearing act. I let out a sigh. I never knew the reason behind his disappearing act, but from what psycho-sensei told me, it was because he had something personal to take care of. Sounds like a cough out to me, but what did I know? That could just be bitterness talking. Then again, did I even have a right to feel bitter? I trailed after him like a lost puppy after the massacre... that much I remembered. I never asked him why he stuck around or even if he wanted to. Did he even want to care for me, or was it an order he had to follow? That realization causes a painful tightening in my chest. 'Heh... that's right. I don't have any right to be bitter.' I muse with a smirk.

"Hey, he only just told us his name." Sakura whispers, snapping me out of my thoughts.

'Ah... this isn't the time to reminisce is it?' I admonish before composing myself back into my normal persona.

"Ah… but where's the fun if he just told us everything." I ask while glancing at Kaka-sensei. "We have to earn it ne?" He sends me a stiff smile before telling Naruto to go.

Not noticing the difference in Kaka-sensei's expression, Naruto answers, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like cup ramen, but I like the ramen at Ichiraku the best. It tastes even better when either Iruka-sensei or Riku buys it for me. I hate the 3 minutes that I have to wait after putting in the hot water. My hobby is to eat ramen, play pranks, and hang out with Riku. And my dream is to become the greatest Hokage so everyone in the village will acknowledge me." Naruto finishes with a flourish.

Kaka-sensei nods in approval before turning to Sakura."Okay next pinkie."

Sakura appears to be slightly put off by the nickname, but replies nonetheless, "I'm Haruno Sakura. I like…well the person I like…(glances at Sasuke) And my hobby is … (glances at Sasuke) well, my dream is … (glances at Sasuke) to … Kyahh!"

I gaze at her blankly. 'She looks like she would tackle and rape Sasuke at any given second… does she have anything else going on in that head of hers?' I thought with a sweat drop. 'Can't believe she's a kunoichi.. but I guess all girls hit that time in their lives where a boy ends up clouding up the mind… that better not happen to me.'

"And what do you hate?" Kaka-sensei prompts.

"Naruto." She deadpans. Fake tears seem to fall out of Naruto's eyes, causing me to release a tired sigh before an idea pops in my head. Smirking, I inch myself closer to Naruto, noticing the depressive clouds floating around his head.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun I like you." I whisper, making sure to fan my breath on the shell of his ear as I drape my arm over his shoulders.

A shiver runs down his spine. "Ehh? R-riku?" A light blush creeps on his face as he attempts to lean away from my grip.

"Ahh… something wrong?" I say calmly as I rest my chin atop his shoulder. Naruto's face continues to redden as incoherent stutters slip out of his mouth. "Gotcha." I whisper as a chuckle rumbles from my chest before I detach myself from Naruto's slightly shaken form. At the sound of my chuckles, Naruto blinks for several seconds before realization crosses his face.

"Ehh… that wasn't funny Riku." Naruto says as he crosses his arms and pouts.

I continue to chuckle as I cross my arms and lean back against the stairs (although it's slightly uncomfortable). "You set yourself up for that one Naru." I explain with a shrug as I see Sasuke and Sakura sending confused glances my way. Before Sakura speaks I cut in, "Before you ask, no. I don't swing that way. I'm straight." Which was true… but seeing as I am a girl… my behavior towards Naruto wouldn't be deemed as queer. Then again, seeing as I am dressed as I guy, I had to clarify it. Don't need any unnecessary attention even though it would have been fun to pretend I was. *sigh* 'Too late for that now.' I shift my gaze back to Kaka-sensei to see amusement flickering across his face but he quickly drops it before the others look his way.

After the incident, Kakashi tells Sasuke to go next.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are many things that I hate and few things that I like. Also, I don't believe in dreams because what I have is an ambition: the revival of my clan and…to kill a certain man."

Silence dominates the conversation as we let the words sink in.

'Guess that ruined the mood.' I muse as I push myself up to my original sitting position. I shift my gaze over to Naruto to see him nervously pulling at his collar, probably hoping Sasuke wasn't referring to him because of that little impersonation prank during break. Trailing my gaze over to Sakura, I see her blushing at Sasuke, probably not noticing the tense atmosphere. Switching my gaze to Kaka-sensei, I see him regarding Sasuke with an unreadable look.

I let out a sigh. 'Revenge huh...' I pull my hat over my eyes. 'Can't deny I haven't thought of that as well...' I muse before glancing over at Naruto. 'But there's something more important right now - someone that's worth more than fulfilling my revenge.' I shift my gaze back to Sasuke. 'I wonder if you'll find your own light to steer you away from your so-called ambition.' I turn the idea around in my head before scoffing. 'Somehow I doubt that can happen, but your desire to kill a man... wonder who that would be.'

A dull pain enters the back of my head, causing me furrow my brows in confusion. Soon after, a blurred image of a man flashes across my eyes, too quick to distinguish outside the long, low ponytail, before a child-like voice calls out the word brother. I pull my hat down further, hiding away the deepening frown on my face. 'Another memory? It's a bit clearer than the others, but why now and that voice... it sounds like Sasuke's? No, that can't be right... the pitch is off but I somehow know that's his voice. How odd.' Shoving the thoughts aside, I return my attention to the conversation at hand, knowing I could come back to it later.

"Ok. Last…guy." Kaka-sensei gestures to me with a light chuckle. The others send Kaka-sensei and me confused looks, probably wondering what's so funny.

I smile in amusement before pointing my thumb at myself.

"Amarante Riku. I like hanging out with Naruto and Shika and playing with people's minds. I suppose you can call them games..." I trail off as I cast my gaze towards the others – noticing the confusion and disapproval coating their faces but shrug it off. "… as for why… I don't feel like saying," I continue with a shrug, "I dislike those who judge others on rumors and take things as face value." I glance at Naruto from the corner of my eye. "After all, a ninja must look underneath the underneath. As for my hobbies, training and finding entertainment I guess." I cross my arms. "Dream… it shouldn't really matter, but I suppose there's one man I want to kill." I state with a dark chuckle before glancing at Kaka-sensei. "... but more importantly, I will protect my light as I see fit. Doesn't matter what I have to do, who I have to face, how much I suffer... I'm not letting my light die."

Noticing the shocked looks from the others, I send them an amused glance. "Let me guess, you didn't think a monster would care for someone that much?" I ask as I prop my chin against my palm.

Sakura looks away uncomfortably whereas Sasuke sends me a calculating look.

"Hey, what are you so serious for?"

I blink in surprise when I feel Naruto's arm across my shoulders before he playfully punches my side. "I'm not defenseless; besides, we're a team remember?"

I let out a grunt before shrugging off Naruto's arm. "Remind me again who was the one beaten down by Sasuke's fangirl's?" I ask slyly.

He gawks before sending me a mild glare. "Oi that doesn't count! They outnumbered me."

"Ah..." I mutter blandly. "Doesn't change the fact that you got beaten up."

Before Naruto can comment, Kaka-sensei claps his hands to get our attention.

"Alright, you four have unique personalities. I like that." He lowers his hands. "We're going to begin a mission starting tomorrow."

Naruto's head snaps to Kaka-sensei at the word "mission". "Really? What is it? C'mon tell us!"

He motions to Naruto to calm down. "Before that, we're going to do something that all five of us can do."

"Nani, nani, nani, nani?" Naruto questions as he hops up and down in excitement.

"Survival training." Kakashi and I answer in sync. The others look at me and judging from their facial expressions, they're wondering how I knew.

"Let's just say I spent a lot of time with a..." I trail off, trying to think of the best way to describe Anko before giving up. There just isn't one word to describe her perfectly. '... sensei so I know how their minds work per say." I state while tapping my temple. They look unconvinced but choose not to press the matter.

Sakura's brows knit together in confusion. "Why are we going to train if this is a mission? We had plenty of training at the academy."

"This... is no ordinary training." Kakashi corrects.

Her frown deepens. "Then what kind of training is it?"

Kakashi chuckles as if he's enjoying every second of this. He's basically building tension within the group so that his next statement would have more of an effect on our psyche. From there, he's basically going to fill us with anxiety and self-doubt so we would place more importance to any suggestion given to us.

'I really have to thank Ibiki-san for teaching me all this…wonder what's he been up to… probably torturing some poor saps for information... and I need to stop getting distracted...'

"Ah, what's so funny sensei~?" I ask, playing along.

"Well… if I say this I'm sure you four will be surprised. Out of the 28 graduates, only 9 are going to become genins." He paused as he strokes his chin, "Well, possibly 10 considering this year's circumstances. But the other 18 or 19 will be sent back to the Academy. In other words, this training is going to be a very hard test with a dropout rate of 66%. See you four are surprised… well for the most part anyway." He states with an eye smile, obviously enjoying the shocked expression on the other three on the team.

"No way! I went through so much trouble …then what was the final exam for?" Naruto whines.

"That? It's just to weed out the lost causes." Kaka-sensei answers with a careless shrug.

"Nani?" Naruto's eyes bulge at the news.

"Anyway, I'm going to determine whether you pass or fail tomorrow. Bring all your equipment with you and meet me at training ground 7 at 5 AM."

'So you want us to go all out...' I realize before frowning. 'But considering our current level, you're going to have to hold back quite a lot and even then that will be a challenge. There has to be a trick somewhere in that test, one we need to figure out to pass.'

Kaka-sensei claps once to snap us out of our thoughts. "Well, that concludes the meeting." He calls out as he makes his exit, only to pause and turn to us once again. "Almost forgot. Don't eat breakfast tomorrow or you'll throw up." Sending us a careless wave, he disappears from sight.

Translation: 'I don't want you to eat breakfast because I want to torture you, not because you'll throw up.'

'Still the same as ever...'

I glance at the others to see them pretty shaken by the news; even Naruto seems to have lost his optimistic attitude. Brushing the dirt off my pants, I stand before making my way over to the railing. I don't make it far before a hand clamps down on my shoulder, stopping me in my steps.

Heaving a sigh, I stuff my hands into my pockets. "Ah, something you want to say, Naru?" I ask blandly, refusing to turn around.

"What you said back there. I know you played it off as a joke...," He trails off, tightening his grip. "...but you were serious, weren't you?"

I send him a side glance, making sure to keep my expression blank. "Doesn't really matter." I mutter before registering the slight pain in my shoulder from his tightening grip. "You remember what I told you about my clan, how ninja are expected to exist as a shadow or a light. I'm just a shadow, a being that exists so closely to his light, but can never touch him. That's what we are. You're my light. I'm your shadow. We're always together, but we will never understand each other... You'll always be out of my reach and I yours." I finish coldly before fixing Naruto with a dark look. "That's just the truth."

He openly gawks at my words, allowing his hand to fall limply at his side. "Riku... oi why are you... what's making you say all this?" He smiles at me nervously. "This is just another joke of yours right?" He lets out a forced laugh as he hesitantly rubs the back of his head.

I let out a dark chuckle. "Is it?" I place a hand over my right eye. "Or is what you're seeing how I really am Naru? Do you even know me?"

He lowers his hand before his expression becomes uncharacteristically serious. "Oi, don't tell me... you saw that teme again, didn't you?"

"Again, doesn't matter." I shrug off, lowering my hand. "You don't know me... so find me. If not, can you really say we're friends?" I challenge, noticing the confusion and hurt flashing across his face.

He takes a step back in surprise. "What...what are you talking about?" He asks, allowing his bangs to cover his face.

'It's that expression again... this is what he always tries to hide behind his smile...' I observe before he quickly covers it with a pained smile. 'Ah, there it is...'

I narrow my eyes at his behavior, knowing he's allowing his insecurities to cloud his judgement. Regardless of what others say about him, he's uncannily sharp when it comes to the emotions of others, especially to those he's close to; though, even with that so called gift, it's worthless when he allows his own emotions to overshadow his thoughts, just like now. I must be a cruel friend, casting all this doubt and fear on him and picking at his insecurities... but why did it feel so right? Playing this role - the jerk friend - isn't what I want, but it's necessary for my selfish wish to come true. I want to test him, probe him, see if he really is my friend or merely a figure I've falsely placed my trust in - a light I've mistakenly chosen to escape that suffocating darkness. One that will perish just like the last... The thought, the possibility of that ever occurring never once crossed my mind. Not until recently. I'm not sure how it came about... this insecurity... this doubt... it didn't surface in a single day. Something gave birth to it, something cultivated it… made sure it developed, made sure it would take over…but what was it? Maybe it was seeing that old prune again... that reminder of my prison. Maybe it was just the slow gnawing of abandonment… the fear of that maddening solitude once again. I had, no needed, to test him. I just hope he would forgive me for doing so. If not now, maybe in the future. Maybe.

'Even if he doesn't accept me in the end, I'll still uphold my role as his protector. I'll continue to watch over him as his shadow.' I vow before steeling myself.

"You say I'm a friend. I see you as one, but you don't know who I am. If you truly care for me, then you'll find me ne? Look underneath the underneath, Naru." I finish with a cruel smirk as I gauge his reaction.

"You..." His hands clench before he sends me another fake smile. "Heh. If that's what it takes to get through your thick skull, then bring it! I won't back down until I figure you out Riku!" He cries, earning a smirk from me in response.

'That's just like you... I know the game I'm playing is dangerous and hurtful... yet, why does it feel so right?' I thought before closing the distance between us and pushing his head forward so my lips hover over his ear. 'Even if I don't know why...'

"Let the games begin." I whisper as I softly tug on his locks. "Naru-kun."

With one final tug of his hair, I pull away and make my way over to the railing but not without feeling someone's eyes drilling into my back. Smirking, I glance over to the source to see Sasuke and Sakura gazing at me with mixed emotions, none of which I can easily distinguish. 'That's right... we're not the only players are we?' I muse before hopping onto the railing with my hands stuffed in my pockets. I teeter on the balls of my feet, earning a cry from Sakura to come down. Smirking, I slip from the railing before landing on the ground in a practiced crouch. Chuckling at Sakura's frantic cries above, I make my way through the emptying streets, pulling my hatter further down my face to hide my growing uneasiness.

'Things will only be more difficult from here on out... but I know you'll find the answer for yourself this time, Naru.'

Little did I know that Kaka-sensei had been watching my little show - catching every little detail, even the pained smile I tried to hide behind my hat.

* * *

><p>~At training ground 7~<p>

4:00 AM

**(Third person perspective)**

Though the meeting was not for another hour, Riku was already at training ground 7 perched on one of the thick branches. It seems as if something was bothering the boy since he was carving the branch above him with his kunai. Eventually the action bore him and he threw the kunai at one of the nearby posts. The sun had yet to rise and no one else was in the area except for him. Releasing a small sigh, he takes out some onigiri from one of his pouches and begins to nibble, only to stop as a myriad of thoughts slam against his mind.

"Are you mad at me now Naruto?" Riku mutters to himself.

"If you're worried about that then you shouldn't have said what did you yesterday." A voice answers.

Riku doesn't seem the least bit phased and turns to see Kakashi sitting in a nearby branch.

"So I guess you saw the whole show?"

"It wasn't that hard to miss." Kakashi replies while rubbing the back of his head.

"I didn't expect you to come this early. You're usually by the memorial and even then you show up several hours late." Riku mutters blandly.

"Well..." Kakashi rubs the back of his head. "I wanted to talk to you about what you said yesterday before the others arrive."

"Ahh… are you going to say I made a wrong move - that I ruined a perfectly good friendship? That I'm playing a game that shouldn't be played?" Riku answers blandly while taking out another onigiri.

Kakashi gazes intently at the boy before allowing his eyebrows to knot in confusion at the food. "Didn't I tell you not to eat breakfast?"

"Heh…a ninja must see underneath the underneath sensei~ I didn't train with Ibiki-san for nothing."

"Hmm… I suppose not. Anyway, are you sure you want to play this 'game' with Naruto?"

"Ahh…so the real question comes out." Riku smirks before continuing, "Honestly, no. I don't want to lose what we already have, but I want him to see the real me. This game has gone on for a while now and it seems as if I was the only one playing it. He's just starting out as a player. If he wants to know the real me, he has to win the game ne?" Riku answers as he finishes the last of the onigiri. "Besides, games are how you stay sane in this world…" Riku quotes as he pulls out another kunai and begins tossing it into the air before catching it at the tip. "Without them, you end up losing yourself… you forget what exists, what matters.." Riku trails off as he continues throwing and catching the kunai with a glazed look in his eyes.

"You seem more like Anko with each passing day. Are you sure you're just playing with Naruto? It seems as if you're treating everyone else as pieces in your game, like say Sasuke for example."

The question causes Riku to momentarily pause as the kunai sits between two of his fingers with the tip pointing down. "Friends… they're just names on pieces of flesh… weak, temporary… what I used to think after…" Riku trails off as a pained look enters his eyes, "These pieces are more durable, more lasting, more real. Too real to be considered just pieces… it's a bit conflicting I'll have to admit. I don't like it… and to answer your question, I don't really remember what connection I had with Sasuke, but he seems…familiar. I may remember more later on, but for now I don't. Regardless, the more players this game has, the more entertaining it is for you and me. No matter the end result, my promise to Naruto still stands whether he wants it to or not." Riku finishes with a small smile. "Still, isn't it natural for abandonment to occur? No one can be there all the time. No one can constantly hold your own and remain by your side. Time changes everything… who you thought you knew soon becomes a stranger… the connections once holding us together melt away into flimsy webs barely holding on. So by default… isn't it better to not form connections, to not form bonds with people if those bonds are meant to deteriorate with time?"

"You seem to have been thinking about this for some time." Kakashi states before releasing a tired sigh. "I didn't leave because I wanted to. You know that."

No response escapes the boy as he continues to look at the swaying leaves overhead and allow the comfortable silence to continue.

"You never answered the question." Riku finally mutters.

"Oh?" Kakashi glances up in thought. "Hm… you remember that story don't you?"

Riku closes his eyes as he lowers his hat further down his face. "Of course."

"There's your answer… you know the consequences of forming such bonds… but you also know the strength they can give you. You've grown… that much I can tell." Kakashi states as he hesitantly places a hand over the boy's capped head, carefully gauging the boy's response. "But just because you know me doesn't mean the test will be any easier for you." He teases before avoiding a kunai aimed at his eye.

"I know that sensei~ We still have to pick up from our last session ne? I'm not the same scared child you left behind," Riku adds darkly, noticing the slight wince from Kakashi. Frowning at the Kakashi's reaction, he continues. "Ah, are you ready to talk yet, or are you still going to run away?"

Kakashi's shoulders slump in weariness before he casts a side glance. "I would like to stay and explain, but the others are almost here. Can't have them finding me, now can I?" He offers weakly before sending Riku a half-hearted wave. "Ja ne."

With that, Kakashi disappears from view, leaving Riku to his own devices. "Ah... still running away... " Riku whispers before tossing the kunai once again. "Neither of us can keep running, Kaka-sensei... but I won't force you to answer. After all, some things are better left burnt away." He murmurs as the image of blue flames enters his vision before disappearing as quickly as it came. 'Heh... another scattered memory... ' He muses before stilling his little tossing game. 'They've been happening more often now... almost makes me forget the thoughts constantly plaguing my mind, like my first opinion of people - pieces of flesh with labels. I wonder when that changed... I don't remember anymore.' Riku thought before shifting his gaze up to the gently swaying leaves overhead.

"Why... just why can't I remember anything?" He murmurs before directing his gaze to the two circling birds and seeing the blurred images of his parents. He furrows his brows. "Oka-san and oto-san. Ying and yang huh... light and shadow... always circling each other in an eternal dance." He shakes his head. "How stupid... all things must come to an end... just a sad truth..." He mutters as he shuts his eyes. 'A truth I wish to prove false... all for your sake...'

Tucking the kunai into his pouch, Riku slides off the tree before resting against one of the wooden pillars with his hat low on his face. Not long after, Sasuke, Sakura, and finally Naruto files into the training ground. All wear tired expressions and it isn't long before Naruto and Sakura fall asleep against the wooden posts. Sasuke, who's sitting next to Riku, continues to spare several glances to the boy to his right, trying to figure out the nagging sense of familiarity. No prominent memories can explain this phenomenon with Riku, frustrating Sasuke further. Several more seconds pass and Riku's head slips from the post, landing on Sasuke's shoulder. Frowning, Sasuke glances down at the boy in annoyance and makes a move to push him off before stopping himself when the image of a cheerful girl momentarily eclipses Riku's image. Frowning, Sasuke lowers his hand and looks off to the side in frustration.

"Just what is going on?" He murmurs.

**{~}**

~11:10 AM~

**(First person perspective)**

"You're late!"

'Hmm what's all the noise?' I lazily turn my gaze to the side to find Naruto and Sakura pointing at Kaka-sensei in matching poses.

I let out a small chuckle. 'Must be upset with his tardiness…' I muse before noticing my cheek resting on a dark blue fabric. 'Wait, what am I on top of?'

Lifting my head up, I eye the fabric before trailing my gaze up to an unamused Sasuke. I blink in confusion before standing. "Gomen ne, Sasuke. Guess I didn't notice you there." I apologize, earning his typical "hn" in response.

Once we all gather around Kaka-sensei, he places a timer on a nearby stump. "Now that all of you are awake, I've set this timer to go off at noon. Today's exercise is to get one of these bells from me. If you are unable to get a bell, I'm going to tie you there, and eat lunch in front of you." Kaka-sensei states while pointing to the three posts.

'Cue the growls.' Everyone looks at me wondering why my stomach didn't making any noise.

I shrug. "Didn't want to be hungry. That simple." I deadpan, earning sweat drops from the others.

Shaking her head, Sakura turns back to the bells before frowning. "Wait sensei, why are there only two bells?"

"Good question. Since there are only two bells, at least one person will be tied to the log, but because I feel like being generous, I'll only tie one person up. That person will fail since he or she couldn't complete the mission. It might just be one person that passes or all four. You can use your shuriken. You won't be able to get a bell unless you come at me with the intent to kill."

I stare at him blankly. 'Fail because we can't complete the mission...' I repeat before frowning. 'That's complete bull, especially for you.' I thought before switching my gaze to the others, noticing them deep in thought as well.

"But that's dangerous sensei!" Sakura cries.

I shrug before casting her a glance. "He can take it. Not like he'll let us kill him that easily." I finish blandly, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

"...You really shouldn't joke about that." She scolds.

I smirk. "Ah, I wasn't joking."

She sends me a wary glance, but doesn't comment.

'...if she ever faces psycho-sensei… she'd be dead five times over.' I thought before mentally sweat dropping at the carnage psycho-sensei would cause. 'Even she doesn't deserve that... I think...'

"Yeah right. You can't even dodge that chalk eraser!" Naruto adds, jutting a finger at Kaka-sensei's face.

'Guess he's trying to reassure himself.' I muse before resting a hand over my gourd.

Kaka-sensei glances at him blandly. "In society, those who don't have many abilities tend to bark the loudest. Just ignore the one who graduated with the lowest score. You'll start when I say go." He dismisses easily.

Gritting his teeth at the dismissal, Naruto clenches his hands before grabbing a kunai and charging headfirst at Kaka-sensei.

'Baka.' Pushing myself forward, I bend the water from the gourd to form a whip with a frozen, spiked edge. By the time Kaka-sensei has Naruto's kunai pointed back at his head, the jagged edge of the ice is pressed against Kaka-sensei's throat.

"Don't get so hasty. I didn't say 'go' yet." Kaka-sensei growls out.

Shoving Naruto forward, Kaka-sensei gazes down at the ice still resting against his jugular. "Such hasty genin this year." He observes before casting me a side glance. "You especially. Riku huh?"

'Playing along?' I muse before flashing him an amused smile. "If you seriously harm him... I won't forgive you. That's what I told you." I warn, noticing his lone eye widening in surprise before he releases a chuckle.

"That you did... but we haven't even started so..." Kaka-sensei disappears in a cloud of smoke before a kunai rests against my throat. "Don't be too hasty now." He whispers in my ear.

I hear a gasp, but I ignore it, placing all my concentration on the kunai placed firmly on my neck. 'So you're not going to mess around with me? ...You're rather serious. That's not like you at all.' I observe before releasing a chuckle and leaning forward to press the kunai harder against my skin.

"What are you doing?_!_" Sakura cries out, but I ignore her.

"Same goes to you." I murmur before the kunai is swiftly removed from my neck. Casting him a smile, I return to the others, noticing their worried glances, save who Sasuke who had a rather annoyed expression.

"Riku... are you alright?" Sakura asks wearily.

I send her a sheepish smile. "Ah, it's nothing to worry about." I answer as the water caresses my neck, healing the cut from the previous disagreement. 'It's fine if you all realize who exactly we're dealing with.'

Sakura heaves a deep sigh before casting a somewhat guarded look at Kaka-sensei who slips the kunai back into his pouch.

He sends us an amused glance. "It looks like you all have the will to kill me now. *chuckles* I think I'm starting to like you four."

We all take a defensive stance, further increasing his amusement.

"Let's start shall we? On your mark, set, go!"

At the signal, we all leap away into our own hiding spots. Pushing silently against the ground, I weave my way through the trees before swinging onto a nearby branch, allowing me some visual of Sasuke, Sakura, and Kaka-sensei. It isn't an obvious hiding spot, nor is it perfect - just in the middle, allowing Kaka-sensei to sense me quite easily. I'm not an idiot. I know Kaka-sensei could spot me no matter where I hid, but if I purposely chose a spot that's easily spotted, then maybe, just maybe he would lower his guard. It's a gamble, after all, Kaka-sensei wasn't an ANBU for nothing.

'Now where is Naruto?' I scan the surrounding trees and bushes in confusion. 'Wait... he can't be stupid enough to be in the open, right?'

"Let's have a match fair and square!"

'Well... that answers that...' I thought before sweat dropping at the scene before me.

Kaka-sensei sends Naruto an blank look. "You're a little ...off compared to the others you know?" He deadpans.

"The only thing off is your hair style!" Naruto retorts before charging at Kaka-sensei once again, earning a sigh from the silver-haired jounin.

"Ninja basics number one: taijutsu. I'll teach you that first." He announces before reaching into his weapon pouch. Registering this, Naruto jumps back into a defensive stance, waiting for some weapon to come out. Surprising (not really..) Kaka-sensei pulls out an orange book instead, causing Naruto's shoulders to sag in realization.

'Don't tell me he still reads those books…' I deadpan before letting out a small chuckle. 'Even with that act in the beginning... you foremost love to mess with people.'

"What's wrong? Come and get me." Kaka-sensei taunts.

Naruto sends him a confused glance. "Ehh? Why are you reading that book?"

"Why? To find out what happens of course. Don't worry about it though. The result would be the same whether I read this or not." Kaka-sensei explains as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

A tickmark appears on Naruto's face. "I'm going to pound you!" Naruto exclaims while charging at Kaka-sensei once again.

'Naruto… stop letting your temper do the fighting…at least think this through more…you're not helping ojii-san's advice… How am I supposed to sit here and let you fight your own battles if you just run into them blindly?' I thought in annoyance.

"A ninja should not let the enemy get behind them multiple times." Kaka-sensei warns as he squats behind Naruto's form with the tiger hand seal.

"Naruto get out of there! He's going to destroy you!" Sakura yells from the bushes.

'Way to give away your position to the enemy…'

"Too late. Hidden Village of Konoha's secret taijutsu master art… " Kaka-sensei states as he charges towards Naruto's butt. * stab*

"Ugh…umm…AHHHH!" Naruto's face turns a shade of blue before a loud scream escapes his lips.

"A Thousand Years of Pain!" Kaka-sensei exclaims as Naruto's form flies through the air.

I face palm at the sight. "Baka…"

'I can't just sit here and just watch this… no matter how funny and entertaining this is…' *sigh*

*splash*

"Bikoume." I activate my eyes and bend the water from the gourd into a whip before it snakes itself around my right arm. Pulling out several senbon, I jump from the branch and make my way to Kaka-sensei. It isn't long before two shuriken come flying out of the water, aiming at Kaka-sensei. He catches them easily in two fingers - eyes never leaving his book. Huffing, Naruto crawls out of the water before resting on the riverbank.

"What's wrong?" Kaka-sensei questions in mock concern. "You won't get any lunch if you don't get a bell by noon." He mutters before tilting his head to the side to dodge the incoming senbon.

"Ahh.. sensei~ I hope you haven't forgotten about me." I call out. He lazily glances my way.

"Hmm? Did you get tired of just watching and wanted to get one yourself?" He asks, uninterested.

"Who knows?" I drawl. "Let's find out." I add before swiping at him with a water claw. He quickly dodges, but the water breaks apart and surges after him. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, he puts his book away before going on the offensive. Our attacks continue to clash with the water shielding me from ones too quick to dodge. Several clumps of water cling onto his frame, causing him to frown in confusion before he servers the water appendage restraining his arm. Smirking at the nearby puddles, I bend backwards into a bridge to avoid a kunai before pushing myself off to the side, noticing a wall of water shielding me from a barrage of kunai. It isn't long before I glance over to see Kaka-sensei restrained by water tentacles before they encase him in an ice shell. He gazes at me in surprise, probably not expecting me to progress this much in a few years. Then again, it would be disappointing to not pick up a few tricks after sparring with a sadistic sensei.

Gazing at him in amusement, I make my way over. "You were holding back on me... unless you've gone senile." I mutter softly so only he can hear. Unfreezing the trapped bells, I pluck one off before slipping it into my water gourd. "Why? You looked ready to kill me before."

He lets out a small chuckle. "A chance and maybe an apology."

This causes a small smile to creep onto my face. "Hm... we'll see." I whisper before increasing the volume of my voice. "Hope they don't waste it."

I glance at Naruto and he catches on, sending a horde of shadow clones after Kaka-sensei once I melt the ice. The clones manage to grab him from behind and around his legs; however, before the clone could punch Kaka-sensei in the face, he switches himself out with another clone, causing Naruto to only hurt himself. It isn't long before the other clones fight amongst themselves.

I face palm. "Ahh… Naruto. Just undo the jutsu before you kill yourself."

He complies and ends up with a face full of bruises once the dust clears, but that doesn't bother him as he spots a bell on the ground. Cheering, he rushes toward it before I can stop him, resulting in his suspended in the air by the rope tied around his ankle.

"Ne Naruto. You shouldn't take something so obvious." I throw a kunai to cut to the rope, but once Naruto lands, another rope suspends him in the air.

I shake out my head. "Ah… Kaka-sensei I think the double trap was uncalled for…" I call out. 'But it's something you would pull.'

Ignoring me, he jumps down from the tree before picking up the bell. He heaves out a sigh before glancing up at Naruto in disappointment. "Look..." He begins his lecture.

Shrugging it off, I lean against a faraway tree. 'Someone should make a move soon… it's been too quiet and Kaka-sensei does appear to be distracted…'

As the thought crosses my mind, several shuriken fly through the trees before peppering Kaka-sensei's side. Naruto flails, saying Sasuke went too far only to see Kakashi's body turn into a log. I hear the rustling of the leaves as Sasuke and possibly Sakura as well leave the area. As the sounds die out, I close my eyes and deactivate the Bikoume and walk closer to Naruto's dangling form.

"Ne Naruto. You need some help?" I ask as I look up at him blankly.

"Hehe… yeah." He replies with a sheepish grin. "I need to get a bell after all!"

"Ah… if I do, do you promise you won't run away right after?"

"Ehh?" His eyes widen in confusion at the request before he complies. I send a kunai towards the rope, sending Naruto roughly crashing to the ground.

"You could have been more gentle." He grumbles as he rubs the back of his head.

"Ah.. but you didn't specify how you wanted me to get you down." I reply with a careless shrug before glancing down into his eyes. "Ne Naruto… How badly do you want to pass this test?"

"Ehh? Well… I want to pass this test after everything I went through to be a genin." He answers honestly.

"Are you willing to fight me for the bell then Naru?"

"What are you saying Riku?"

I close my eyes in thought. 'Kaka-sensei…you said the reason you gave me the bell was to give "a chance"… but it wasn't just for me… it's for all of us. Why would you do this now when you've failed so many other teams? Why give us this chance? Well, whatever the reason… I won't let it go to waste. I will prove to you that they deserve to pass as well… we all have a goal we need to achieve.'

"Naruto. If you want to pass, then fight me for the bell."

"Ehh?" He openly gawks. "Why would I do that? That would mean you wouldn't pass."

"If you beat me that is." I add with a smirk.

He frowns. "You're my friend. I'm not going to take away your chance to graduate." Naruto answers before deepening his frown. "Even though you've been acting weird… you're still my friend." He finishes before locking eyes with me. "I'll find out who you really are Riku. I'll find out more about you… so we'll be friends again and you'll stop letting that teme get to you! I promise!"

I stare at him blankly, causing his grin to widen. "Ha now who's the one with the stupid look on his face." He jokes, causing me to chuckle in response.

"I see. You really have a way with words, Naru." I praise before bending the water in my gourd to retrieve the bell and holding it out to him. "Here. You deserve it. I can just get another one. Besides, you have a dream to achieve Mr. Future Hokage." I lean in closer so that my mouth was right next to his ear. "You still have a long ways to go Naru… but arigato… for accepting my selfish wish." I place the bell in his hand.

I look at his face to see a slight blush appear.

'I guess there really wasn't a reason to ever doubt you... was there?' I thought with a smile before turning back to him. "Do what you want with that bell. Just make sure you have no regrets." I call back before walking deeper into the training ground.

'If my hunch is correct, Naruto will go after Sakura to give her the bell, but after that... what will happen?' I muse as I turn over several possibilities in my head. 'Can't really think of many... I'm not as skilled in this as Shika after all.'

After several minutes, I hear Sakura's scream deeper in the forest.

'Kaka-sensei must have went overboard on her… or showed her Sasuke's death or something…' I thought with a slight sweat drop.

"AHHHH!"

I blink in confusion. 'Again? How many times is she going to scream? Kaka-sensei wouldn't have gone too hard on her… Unless she saw something that would make her react that way…'

With that thought in mind, I continue trekking through the forest before coming across Sasuke's head and a passed out Sakura. I can't help but chuckle at the sight, causing Sasuke to glare in my direction.

"Should I ask what happened? Or can I just guess?" I ask with amusement lacing my voice.

"Just help me out."

"What's the magic word?"

"…"

"Sorry I didn't catch that... maybe I should go seeing as you don't need help…"

"_Please_." He grits out.

"Ehh… Good enough."

I walk over and pry open the ground with my water, making more room for him to escape. As he dusts off the remaining dust, I send him a wry smile. "This is the second time I've had to help you." I muse, earning his typical "hn" in response. Rolling my eyes, I make my way over to Sakura and tap her several times on the cheek. Despite my calls, I get no response. Righting myself up, I give Sasuke a glance.

"Your turn." I mutter blandly. "Nothing I do works."

Scoffing, he makes his way over to us and oddly enough, once he comes within a one-foot radous of Sakura, she immediately comes back to life and clings onto him as if she hadn't expected to see him alive.

'That girl has a one tracked mind…' I thought with a mental sweat drop.

"Sasuke-kun you're alright!"

"Hey get off of me!" Sasuke retorts as he attempts to pry the girl away from him.

I shake my head at the two. "As entertaining as this is, you guys do know that we're running out of time right?" I say while rubbing the back of my head.

Shoving Sakura off, Sasuke stands. "I figured." He mutters before turning to the side. "I was able to touch it a while ago. I can get it next time."

"Is that so? You're amazing Sasuke-kun." Sakura gushes, but I notice the slight hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Sakura. Did you lose the bell Naruto gave you?" I ask, causing Sasuke to switch his gaze to the two of us.

"H-huh? W-what are you talking about Riku?" Sakura stutters out as she waves a dismissive hand.

"I gave Naruto my bell and told him to do whatever he wanted with it. I just assumed he would give it to you. Gomen ne if I was wrong in my assumption."

An unreadable expression enters Sasuke face, but I dismiss it as nothing.

"I-it's alright. Um.. since we have little time left, why don't we try harder next time and give up for now?"

"Only I can kill that man." Sasuke cuts in.

Glancing at Sasuke, I recall the scene I experienced yesterday when he mentioned he wanted to kill someone. A blurred figure of a man and the word "brother" played in my head. Could it have actually been Sasuke's voice I heard in the memory? Did he have a brother? That would make sense… but why would he want to kill his brother? As I try looking for any relevant memories, I get a dull ache in my head as I see two crimson eyes shrouded in a black fog, then nothing. I furrow my brows in annoyance before heading off in the direction of Kaka-sensei's chakra. I didn't see a reason to interrupt whatever _moment _Sasuke was having with Sakura. When I arrive at the clearing, I see Naruto tied to the post.

'He must have tried to steal the food…'

Pushing that thought aside, I jump onto Kaka-sensei's back, trying to grab a bell in a last ditch effort. He lets out a surprised grunt, but before I can grab the bell, the timer goes off.

"Nice try Riku. Sit down next to Naruto." He says as he pats my head.

Rolling my eyes, I spare him a glance, noticing the odd gleam in his eye that said 'play along.'

Sending him a small nod, I sit down next to Naruto before seeing Sasuke and Sakura walk into the clearing and sitting down as well.

'Cue growling noises.'

*Growl*growl*growl*

"Your stomachs are hungry ne? By the way, about the results of the training…. None of you need to return to the Ninja Academy. "

"What?" She gazes at Kaka-sensei in confusion. "But all I did was faint. Was that ok?"

I look in her direction as she starts jumping up and down.

'How clueless can you get?' I thought as I mentally sighed at her antics.

"So does that mean us four…?"

"No. You three …should quit being ninjas."

"Wait what do you mean by 'you three' and quit being ninjas?" Naruto asks. "We couldn't get a bell, but why do you have to say we should quit?"

"It's because the three of you are just kids who don't even deserve to be ninjas. Only one of you was able to get a bell."

Sasuke charges at Kaka-sensei; however, Kakashi just pins him to the ground and sits on him.

"See? You're all just kids." He states as he places his foot harder on Sasuke's head.

"Don't step on Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yells.

"Do you guys think being a ninja is easy? Why do you think we break into teams?" Kaka-sensei questions angrily.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asks hesitantly.

"In other words, you three don't understand the answer of this test. The answer to determine whether you pass or fail."

"We've been asking what it is…" She trails off.

"Geez, are your brains empty? Only one of you figured out the answer. Why are you all in a group?"

Silence.

"It's teamwork." I finally answer. "To give up your own goals so the team's goal is accomplished... to make sure the mission succeeds." I frown. "But even then, there will be a time where ninja must choose between the mission or his comrades. Correct?" I ask, despite knowing the answer.

"Correct." He nods. "If all four of you came at me at once, maybe you could have gotten a bell. But that's too bad."

"Why do we use teamwork if there are only two bells?" Sakura asks angrily.

"To screw with us." I answer simply.

Kaka-sensei lets out a sigh. "Crude but correct. In this situation, we select those who can prioritize teamwork before themselves. That was the purpose but most of you were pathetic. Sakura. You cared more about Sasuke than Naruto even though Naruto was right in front of you and you didn't even know where Sasuke was. Naruto even went as far as to give you a bell and you took it without any regrets. Naruto. All you did was work on your own. But you did show some understanding of the test when you refused the bell Riku gave you. Riku. You were the only one who figured out the real intention of this exam, but you went after the bell on your own. There will be times where you can't complete a mission without help. You can't always do things on your own. And you… *stomps on head harder* …Sasuke assumed that you had to get a bell on your own once you saw Riku was able to. You simply assumed everyone was below you so you did everything yourself."

Kakashi steps on Sasuke's head harder as Sasuke's gaze locks on mine.

"It's true ninjas need well-developed individual abilities, but its teamwork that is much more important. An individual action that disrupts the teamwork will result in danger or even death for the teammates. For example…"

Kakashi takes out a kunai and places it nears Sasuke's neck.

"Sakura. Kill Naruto or Sasuke dies."

Sakura looks hesitantly between Naruto and me.

"Try and it'll be the last thing you do. And Kaka-sensei, don't even joke about that." I growl out.

He lets out another sigh. "That's what will happen on a mission Riku. You need to accept that."

Kaka-sensei pulls the kunai away from Sasuke's neck.

"Oh, you surprised me sensei…." Sakura mutters.

"After someone is taken hostage, you will be faced with a difficult decision, and someone will die." Kaka-sensei stakes as he twirls the kunai before putting it away. He gets off of Sasuke.

"In every mission, you put your life on the line."

Kaka-sensei walks over to the memorial stone. "Look at this… the numerous names carved into this stone. All these names are those praised as heroes in this village."

"I want my name to be carved there. I want to die as a hero." Naruto exclaims.

"Baka. I won't let that happen to you." I say at I hit him lightly on the head. "They aren't normal heroes Naruto."

"Ehh what do you mean?"

"Those heroes were K.I.A. Naruto. All of them were killed in the line of duty." I answer stiffly. "If anyone's going to be on that damn stone... I'd rather it be me before you." I murmur before tugging my hat lower on my face. I notice Sasuke and Naruto looking my way, but I just ignore it.

"... It's better if your name doesn't end up on this stone at all, but that's somewhat wishful thinking." He mutters before glancing at the stone with a faraway look in his eye. "This is a memorial. The names of my friends are carved here. It seems as if the names of your loved ones are carved on here as well Riku."

"You can say that…" I mutter, tightening the grip over my hat. "But I don't believe in an honorable death… I will live and change things for the better…if I die, then that means that I was just too weak."

Kakashi looks at me sadly before facing the memorial once again.

"I'll give you all one more chance. However, the battle for the bells will be much harsher after lunch. Riku, you won't be able to give away a bell this time around. Eat lunch if you are up to the challenge, but no one feed Naruto. It's his punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat lunch early. If anyone feeds him, the person will immediately fail. I make the rules here. Got it?"

I narrow my eyes at the words, finding them eerily similar to Danzo's. 'Just forget it... his hold on you is gone...'

Ignoring the sudden shift in my behavior, Kaka-sensei leaves before we help ourselves to the food, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. I stare blankly at the food resting on my lap as I drew up the blurred images of my parents. I still couldn't remember them... I couldn't remember their face, their voice, their touch... nothing. But that can be said for the rest of the clan as well. I don't really remember any of the faces of my clansmen... those memories were lost after the massacre. The memories I truly remember are the ones I wish to forget... all that blood, pain, sorrow... those are the memories that should have burned away.

"Ne Riku are you alright? You didn't eat anything yet." Naruto asks. Sasuke and Sakura glance in my direction as they continue eating.

I let out a small chuckle. 'I have to hand it to him... he's more perceptive than we give him credit for.'

"It's nothing." I wave off. "I don't feel hungry right now since I ate a large breakfast, but you're probably hungry by now aren't you Naruto?"

"Ehh? What are you talking about I'm fine." ~Growl~

"Your stomach says otherwise. Here say ahh." I said while I hold up some food to his mouth.

"But Kakashi-sensei told us not to feed Naruto." Sakura states.

"I don't see him here do you? Besides, he did say whoever feeds Naruto fails, so you shouldn't worry about me. I honestly don't care for his rules. And even if I fail, he never said anything against the person participating in the bell test after lunch."

"Naruto it's alright. I don't sense him anywhere. We have to get the bells together. It's only going to give us trouble if he's hungry." Sasuke adds.

"Arigato Sasuke. Sakura I think you should feed him. Naruto doesn't seem comfortable with me feeding him for some reason." I ask with a shrug.

"Ma… fine but hurry up."

"Thanks Sakura-chan."

"You better hurry before Kaka-sensei shows up." Sasuke warns.

"I'm only going to do this once for you Naruto. You understand?" Sakura states.

"I understand." Naruto states as a goofy grin enters his face.

The moment Naruto eats the rice a strong wind comes rushing towards us. Kaka-sensei comes out looking upset, asking us why we broke his rule and if we were ready for his punishment. Storm clouds start gathering above us and he asks us for any last words.

"Never was one for rules and not going to start now." I answer darkly before offering him a smirk. "We're a team. That's reason enough."

"If one member is weak, the whole team would suffer." Sasuke adds.

"That's right, all of us are one." Sakura says.

"Yeah. Yeah. What they said." Naruto adds.

"You four are one, eh?" Kakashi takes a dramatic pause before saying: "You pass!"

"Pass?" Sakura gawks. "Why?"

"You four are the first. The people I had previously couldn't think for themselves. They only did what they were told to do. Ninjas have to look underneath the underneath. In the world of ninjas those who break the rules are trash…

…but those who abandon their friends are worst than trash." Kakashi-sensei and I finish together.

We both smile as the others to give us questioning looks.

"I suppose you all are wondering how I know Kaka-sensei." I ask as I stuff my hands into my pockets.

They nod.

"Well, it was Kakashi-sensei who found me after the massacre and he was one of the people who was in charge of some of my training." I answer before a sickly sweet smile enters my face. "He was… mostly busy so Anko-sensei trained me most of the time. She's in a way the complete opposite of Kakashi-sensei. You guys will probably meet her later on, but be careful around her." I finish.

"Alright. Why don't we all go out to eat to celebrate?" Kaka-sensei offers. We all agree before heading back to town after cutting Naruto free.

**{~}**

~Towards the back of the group~

"Are you still upset?" Kaka-sensei asks.

"No." I answer curtly. "You had business to attend to… why would I be mad? Not like you promised me something." I answer with a careless shrug, causing a slightly pained look to enter his visible eye.

"Hmm… I guess not… but you can say that I had a promise I had to keep. An old friend of mine to be exact… you remind me a lot of her…" He comments casually.

"Oh? How is she?"

"…Dead."

A pang of guilt swells in my chest. 'I really acted like a teme toward him, didn't I?'

"…I see." I respond stiffly before feeling a hand land on my head.

"Ma... it's nothing to worry about." He reassures as he sends me an eye smile. "I won't be leaving again... and I shouldn't have really left to begin with."

I smile sheepishly. "If it was important, then you had to, but let me know next time you disappear alright? If not, I'll have to return the favor to you." I jest, earning a chuckle in response.

"Of course." He hums before sending me a curious glance. "Hm... if I remember correctly, you were muttering a name when I found you. Does that ring a bell to you?"

I send him a bland look. "I already told you; I don't remember. My answer hasn't changed." I sigh out. "Why bring this up now?"

He sends me a shrug. "It's nothing. I was just wondering if you regained any of your memories yet."

I gaze at him skeptically. "That's not all is it?"

"No. But I'll just leave things as they are now."

"Trying to make this game more interesting?"

"Of course." He states while giving me an eye smile.

"And they say I'm a sadist." I retort before running forward to catch up with the others. Little did I know that a pair of blood red eyes was watching me from a tree not too far away.

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><p><strong>AN: That was a really long chapter. Let me know if I should make them shorter or not. There are still gaps in Riku's memories and it seems that her game is starting to get more complicated. It seems as if Riku has some sort of connection with Sasuke and possibly Itachi. Keep reading to find out. Until next time. (^.^)<strong>

**Ja Ne.~**

**Please review.**

**(Edited 7/1/14)**


	4. Chapter 4: Proving Beliefs

-Chapter 4: Proving Beliefs-

**AN: Thank you to those who have been reading this or have just skimmed it. Feedbacks would help so I know what to fix or change for the rest of my story. Sorry again if my OC seems like a mary-sue or acts a bit out of her character. This chapter is pretty long so I hope it compensates for the last time I was able to update.**

** {~}**

*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 2)*

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' _

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante.**

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><p>~In a nearby forest~<p>

**(First Person Perspective)**

"This is Sasuke. I'm at point B."

"Riku at point D."

"This is Sakura at point C."

"Naruto at point A."

"You're slow Naruto." Sasuke breaks in. I roll my eyes before shifting my gaze back at our target.

Sighing Kaka-sensei breaks in. "Ok.. team seven…the target has moved," He warns. "After it!"

Heading his warning, we rush in to surround the target, making sure to conceal our presence behind the trees bordering the perimeter.

"Ok he's there." Naruto breathes out.

"What's the distance from the target?" Kaka-sensei asks.

"Five meters. I'm ready to go." Naruto answers confidently.

"I am, too." Sasuke follows.

"Me too." Saskura says.

"Ahh… same." I add as I slightly narrow my eyes at the crouching target.

"Go!"

Registering the order, we all charge towards the cat, but Naruto manages to catch it first.

"I got you!" He cries happily as he lifts the cat up in the air.

"Does it have a ribbon on its right ear? Is it our target, Tora?" Kaka-sensei asks through the earpiece.

I glance back at Naruto and see the cat viciously clawing at the arms restraining him before jumping out of Naruto's hands to dig out his face.

'…That looks a bit painful…'

Taking some pity on Naruto, I walk over to the frantic cat before calling out his name. He momentarily halts his assault on Naruto's gash covered face, eyeing me warily. "Ne ne Tora. Come here." I coax, holding out my hand as I blink slowly. His gaze continues to lock on mine before sniffing my hand. After leaving several more gashes on Naruto's face, he happily jumps into my arms before purring.

'Huh… it actually worked…guess blinking slowly does gain a cat's trust...' I thought in amusement before stroking the cat under his chin. "Arigato for giving me a good show." I whisper pleasantly into the cat's ear, receiving a gleeful purr from the cat in response.

"No wonder the cat likes you… you're as sadistic as the cat…" Naruto mutters sourly before wincing when he touches a rather nasty cut.

I give him a dry look. "Well, I wouldn't be happy at you either if you grabbed me like that…" I comment with a shrug, causing Naruto to scrunch up his face. "… You're… actually imagining it, aren't you?" I deadpan as I slightly grimace.

"Eh? …No?" Naruto draws out as he turns to hide his face.

'I'll take that as a yes?' I thought to myself with a mental sweat drop. 'Not sure if I should feel violated or disturbed…'

"It's definitely our target." Sasuke answers back, completely ignoring the two of us.

"Operation Capture Tora the Lost Pet complete." Kakashi-sensei replies.

"Isn't there a more exciting mission we can work on?!" Naruto yells through the earpiece.

''Ugh… I'm going to get you for that Naruto…" I mutter to myself as I pull out the earpiece with a slight grimace. *static noises*

**{~}**

~With the client~

The moment I enter the room, a large women charges at me, sweeping Tora from my arms and strangling it with a bone-crushing hug. Screeches of protest come from Tora's mouth.

"Ohh, my cute Tora-chan. I was so worried about you!" The woman gushes as the cat frantically wiggles around in an attempt to escape the madwoman crushing its body. I sweat drop at the scene.

"Haha… the stupid cat got what he deserved." Naruto says with a gleeful smile as he brings his hands behind his head.

"No wonder he ran away…" Sakura adds as she watches the scene in slight disgust.

"Ahh … I would run away too if I was him…" I add blandly.

I glance over at Sasuke, seeing a small nod of agreement in my direction. 'Looks like even Sasuke has pity over the cat… interesting…'

"Ok. For Team Kakashi, we have babysitting Yojyu-sama's boy, grocery shopping at the neighboring town, harvesting vegetables, picking up trash from the river…." Ojii-san calls out as he reads down the mission scroll.

"No! No! No! I want to do a more exciting mission! Isn't there something else?" Naruto interrupts while crossing his arms to form an x.

'He does have a point… even though we just became genin, we need a more challenging mission… what we're doing so far won't prepare us for the future…'

"You've just recently become ninja. Everyone needs to start with the easy missions first to gain experience!" Iruka rebukes.

'This isn't going to go anywhere at this rate...' I realize before making my way over to Ojii-san, ignoring Iruka-sensei's lecture. Ojii-san matches my gaze in amusement before I stop a bit in front of the table.

"Ne Ojii-san. I know we've just become genin, but it would be best if we get a more challenging mission. We can take care of ourselves and Kaka-sensei won't let anything happen to us." I explain before smiling softly. "Besides, you did say we have to let Naruto grow up ne?"

A mischievous gleam enters his eyes before he chuckles. "That I did. I understand. If you insist, I'll allow you take on a C ranked mission. Team 7 will be escorting someone back home." He announces, shocking almost everyone in the room. Iruka-sensei opens his mouth to protest, but a look from Ojii-san quickly ends it.

Naruto's eyes widen in unrestrained glee. "Really? Who is it? A feudal lord? Or a princess?" He asks, hopping up and down from his spot.

Chuckling at the sight, I make my way back to the others, pulling my hat further down my face to block the inquisitive looks sent my way. 'I'll just let them figure out what I said to Ojii-san on their own.' I muse before turning back to Ojii-san to see him gazing at Naruto in amusement.

"Don't get so hasty." Ojii-san states with a chuckle before facing the door, "I'll introduce him now. You may enter."

We all turn to the door to see it slowly creeping open, revealing an old man in a straw hat carrying a bottle of …sake?

His eyes quickly sweep the room before landing on us; he does nothing to hide his disapproval.

"Nani? They're all kids!" He takes a swing from the bottle. "Hey, is the smallest one there with the idiotic face really a ninja?"

"Ahaha… who's the smallest one with the idiotic face?" Naruto asks gleefully as he looks around.

Wordlessly, we all walk toward Naruto to show him that he's the shortest. Sasuke's the tallest, then me, Sakura, and lastly Naruto. Before Naruto can charge at the man, I wrap my arm around his neck.

"Oi Riku let go! I'm going to kill him!" Naruto cries as he continues to flail around in an attempt to escape my grip.

"Ahh… let me think…no." I deadpan.

Kaka-sensei lets out a sigh. "Don't kill the man you're supposed to escort baka."

It didn't seem like Naruto's listening since he continues to flail, yelling "I'm going to kill you!" at the old man.

Ignoring him, the man rests an elbow against the doorway. "I am the master bridge builder Tazuna. Once I return to my country, I will have all of you protect my life with yours while I complete the bridge." He states calmly before taking another swing at the bottle.

'From the coloration of his face, it's obvious he's drunk…I wonder if he'll be able to travel. Well, he possibly has tolerance in that field or he wouldn't openly show this side…' I thought to myself as I continue to examine his appearance. 'Based on his clothes, he's just a normal citizen, well bridge builder to be exact… but there's something off.' I pause as I pay attention to his eyes. They were clouded with the common haze associated with drinking, but behind that was something else entirely. 'Those eyes…'

_-Flashback-_

"_Experience runs deep Riku. Be sure to remember that. Even if we choose to forget, choose to hide away our past, the pain and suffering that haunts us can never entirely fade. It hides in our minds, taking root, slowly cultivating itself in the dark, but in certain situations they will come to light. You understand this, don't you?" Ibiki states with a stern face. _

"_Ahh.. you talk from experience?" I answer with a blank expression. He momentarily pauses before a smirk adorns his face. _

"_As do you. Don't think you can beat the master, gaki. You're still a novice." He counters, "All of us wear masks… but yours is riddled with ever-growing cracks. Remember that."_

_-End Flashback-_

'Ibiki…' I slowly close my eyes as I take in those words. 'Even if it's full of cracks, I still survive. As for your advice… I see it… his deceit… his pain… his suffering… all written clearly in his eyes.' I thought as I glance over at Kaka-sensei's form.

"Alright. Everyone meet at the village gates in half an hour. Use that time to go home and get your supplies." Kaka-sensei interrupts before leaving with Tazuna.

'More pieces are gathering… a new game has started…'

**{~}**

~At Riku's apartment~

**(Third person perspective)**

Riku is seen sifting through articles in his brown backpack. Scrolls, weapons, food, bandages, and other essentials are placed inside. Though Riku predominately uses the water in the gourd to use his bending, there are some cases where it won't be enough. To remedy that, Riku keeps several scrolls containing sealed water on his belt. As he reaches for another scroll in his cabinet, a small object falls to the wooden floor.

*clink*

"Hmm? What's this?"

Riku picks up the object, holding the ring between his index finger and thumb.

"A ring? Where did I get this from?"

Riku looks at the ring curiously. It didn't appear to be expensive, more so unusual. A single red crystal rests on the etched silver band coated with in strange swirls. They form some obtuse pattern that points to an unreadable inscription on the inner side of the ring. As Riku continues to gaze at the inscription, a pair of crimson eyes enters his vision, followed shortly by a dull headache.

'Those same eyes… what does this mean?' Riku furrows his eyes in thought before glancing at the clock. Noticing the time, Riku shakes his head in mild amusement.

"Hm, I don't have time for this… looks like I'll have to leave things here."

In one fluid motion, Riku strings the ring onto a nearby chain before quickly hooking it around his neck. With that, he leaves the room, closing the door with a decisive click.

**{~}**

~At the village gates~

**(First person perspective)**

"Alright! Let's go!" Naruto cheers with a fist pump.

Tazuna looks at Naruto in annoyance. "What are you excited for?"

"It's my first time outside the village." He answers before shifting his gaze all over the place, as if he's trying to take in any and everything in one swoop.

"Ahh… Naruto it would be best if you just calm down and focus on the mission." I suggest, keeping up my blank facade.

He sends me a pout. "I know that Riku. But isn't it your first time out of the village too?" He looks at me in confusion. "How come you aren't excited?"

"I am. Can't you tell?" I ask with a deadpan look. 'It's fun messing with him.'

"Ehh?" He sends me an incredulous look.

"Hey, will a kid like this really be capable on this mission?" Tazuna asks Kaka-sensei in annoyance.

"Don't worry I'm a jounin and I'm coming along as well." Kaka-sensei waves off.

*twitch*

Rounding on Tazuna, Naruto claims how he will one day be Hokage, but Tazuna only shows indifference, even going as far as to say he would still refuse to acknowledge Naruto even if he does become Hokage. Gritting his teeth, Naruto lunges at Tazuna, only to be stopped by Kaka-sensei grabbing the scruff of his jacket. Heaving a sigh, Kaka-sensei reminds Naruto that we're supposed to protect the client, not maim him.

"Ah Naru." I rub the top of his hair, stopping his struggles. "Don't let it get to you." I murmur before noticing his chakra hesitantly reaching out for mine. Smiling softly, I intertwine mine with his, causing him to release a content sigh. "That's what you told me, ne?" I finish, earning a hesitant nod in response.

"Fine... I got it." He answers sourly. "Doesn't mean I'll like him."

I let out a laugh. "Never said you have to~." I tease, before pulling away to join the others. Seeing as Naruto's calmed down, we continue making our way to the Country of Waves.

The trip is oddly silent for several minutes before Sakura feels a need to fill it by asking Tazuna questions about his country. Finding little interest in the conversation, I zone out, seeing as I knew enough of his country's situation from Ojii-san, more specifically his paperwork.

'The perks of helping Ojii-san with paperwork... or more so sorting through them...' I glance dully at my feet.

Forced submission under a corrupt man... Living in constant fear with no hope for escape. Two things I'm quite familiar with. I send a side glance to my back before directing my eyes forward.

'No use in dwelling on something I can no longer change.' I thought bitterly before thinking back to the ring hanging around my neck. It seems somewhat important, but I can't remember where I had obtained it. (Not much of a surprise there.) 'Was it a present... if so, who gave it to me...?' The crimson-eyed man's shrouded image appears once again, causing me eyes to narrow as the familiar throb returns to my head. 'Just who are you...?'

"Don't worry. We won't have any ninja battles on a C ranked mission." Kaka-sensei reassures.

She lets out a relieved sigh. "So then there's no need to worry then."

I gaze blankly at the interaction. 'Ahh... what did I miss?' I thought as I watch Kaka-sensei patting the top of Sakura's head comfortingly, probably in an attempt to ease her worries on the mission. Shifting my eyes to Tazuna, I notice the uneasiness settling on his face.

'Quite a distressful expression... you're even locking the muscles in your arms...' I muse. 'You're afraid. But why?'

I shift my gaze to Sasuke to see him peering at Tazuna. He narrows his eyes in suspicion before glancing off to the side.

'You noticed too...Guess I have to be careful from here on out…' I conclude before stuffing one of my hands in my pocket while keeping the other close to my kunai pouch. We continue down the path, seeing nothing out of the ordinary with the exception of a lone puddle.

'A puddle... there shouldn't be one this large. The rain several days ago isn't nearly enough to create one this size.' I glance over to Kaka-sensei, seeing him look at the puddle as well, but he merely dismisses it and returns his gaze forward.

'I guess I was being paranoid for nothing…'

*cling*clink*

In that instant, two figures had a chain around Kakashi's body.

"Nani?"

"One." The ninjas tighten the chain, shredding Kakashi's body into pieces.

I clench my hands. "You..."

"AHH!" Sakura screams, staggering back in surprise.

"Don't scream. Protect Tazuna now!" I order as I see the two figures reappear behind Naruto.

"Second one." They mutter in sync as they bring their claws forward.

Before they're able to attack Naruto, Sasuke throws a shuriken at the chain before following it with a kunai, embedding the chain into the tree. Sasuke then lands on the claws and kicks the two ninjas in the face. Realizing their trapped situation, they disconnect the chain and run in opposite directions, both targeting Tazuna.

"Move Naruto!" I warn, but he remains rooted. "Baka."

I rush to Naruto and tackle him out of harm's way, but not before the claw grazes us both.

'Stupid weights… if only she didn't increase them…' I thought in annoyance but quickly disregard it for the current situation.

Quickly righting myself up, I uncap the gourd and bend the water into a whip. Locking gazes with the mist nin, I lash the whip at his torso, making sure to freeze the tip to create spiked tendrils. My grin widens as the tendrils rip through his flesh as he staggers back into a tree.

He sends me a murderous glare before surprise flashes through his eyes. I let out a hollow chuckle before the surrounding water freezes him against the tree. He thrashes around in an attempt to free himself but it only causes the ice to creep further along his body until only his head is visible.

I place a hand over my eye as hollow chuckles rumble in my chest. 'That expression of yours... it's just like all the others...' The ice digs further into his skin. 'I hate it... I can just-'

*crash*

"Yo."

Snapping out of my thoughts, I turn around to see Kaka-sensei's arm wrapped around the neck of an unconscious mist ninja.

Surprise crosses everyone's faces. Not believing his eyes, Naruto looks back at the 'remains' to see pieces of split wood.

'Looks like he hasn't lost his touch since the last time I've seen him.' I thought with a small smile before lowering my hand. 'And not a moment too soon... I almost gave into it again...'

"Naruto. Sorry I didn't help you right away. I didn't expect you to freeze up like that. Because of me, you and Riku were hurt. Regardless, good job Riku."

Kaka-sensei walks over to pat my head before leaning closer. "Oi, calm down... no need to be hasty with him. We still need information."

I give him a small smile. "Gomen ne... guess Anko is rubbing off on me." The spikes recede from the ninja's skin, causing him to slump in relief.

Kaka-sensei peers at me curiously but doesn't comment and goes over to Sasuke and Sakura.

"Good job Sasuke. You too Sakura."

Naruto's form tenses as he watches Kaka-sensei praise Sasuke and Sakura. It's obvious he wants the praise as well and by leaving him out, Kaka-sensei reinforces the fact that Naruto is an outsider of sorts… what Naruto is seeing right now, is what both of us had experience in the village… the sense of longing we had to be accepted and praised, to be treated as a human being... something far from what we received in our childhood.

I place a hand on Naruto's shoulder in an effort to comfort him; however, he continues to mull in his own thoughts, constantly shifting his gaze between Sasuke and me.

I squeeze his shoulder before offering a small smile. "Ahh... The real thing is a lot different from our mock battles, isn't it?"

He robotically turns to me. "I... I couldn't do anything..." He clenches his hand. "Even after..." He trails off, but I understood. Even after seeing me consumed by my berserker state... the madness... the killing intent... the rage... all suffocating but never directed at him. He never experienced it being directed at him. This attack is his first exposure.

Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh. "Different scenarios. No matter what, I would never kill you. You know that..." I trail off before lowering my hand. "That can't measure to the real thing... Take this as experience. You can only do better from here, ne?"

Exhaling deeply, he sends me a frustrated glance. "I kno-" He begins before Sasuke cuts him off.

"Yo."

We turn to Sasuke to see him wearing a smirk.

"Are you hurt? Scaredy cat."

*tick mark*

"Sasuke!" Naruto makes a move to charge at Sasuke, but I hold him back by the scruff of his jacket.

"Naru." I warn before Kaka-sensei calls out to us.

"Naruto. Riku. Their claws have poison in them. We need to take it out right away." Kaka-sensei orders, halting Naruto in his struggles. I let go off his jacket before stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"Nani?" Naruto looks down at his hand in confusion.

"We have to open your wound and leech out the poisoned blood. Don't move that much or the poison will spread through your body. And Tazuna… I need to talk to you." A cold gleam enters Kaka-sensei's eye.

Understanding the silent cue, I walk over to the frozen ninja before throwing several senbon into his neck, knocking him out. I stare at him impassively before melting the ice and allowing his body to crumple uselessly to the ground. Ignoring my not-so-kind handling of the chunin, Kakashi ties them up against the tree and waits for one of them to wake up.

He eyes the two impassively. "These ninja are chunins from the Village Hidden in the Mist. They are known to keep fighting no matter the cost."

"How were you able to detect us?" One questions.

"I wasn't the only one that did," Kakashi murmurs before shrugging. "It wasn't too difficult to figure out. Even with the mild showers we've had a few days ago, there shouldn't be enough water to create a puddle that size, and with it being sunny today, a water puddle shouldn't exist."

"What? If you knew that, then why did you let the kids fight?!" Tazuna asks in distress.

"If I was up to it, I could have killed these two in the blink of an eye. But… I needed to know who their target was…" Kaka-sensei gazes at Tazuna coldly.

"What are you talking about?" Tazuna gulps nervously before beads of sweat trail down his neck.

"Ahh… you're giving yourself away old man…" I state absently before bringing up my arm to eye level to peer at the cut. 'It's not too deep fortunately...'

Ignoring my comment, Kaka-sensei continues.

"In other words, were you being targeted, or somebody from our ninja group? We have not heard anything about you being targeted by ninja. Your request was to protect you from armed groups like gangs and robbers. This is a mission above a C rank. Our job was to support and guard you until you completed the bridge. If ninja are our enemy, this mission would be an expensive B rank." Kakashi eyes Tazuna closely before continuing. "It looks like you had your reasons, but it only troubles us if you lie in your request details. This wasn't part of the mission."

Sakura shifts her eyes between the two before stepping forward nervously. "This is out of our league. Let's go back. We need to get medical help for Naruto and Riku anyway."

Kakashi looks in my direction before sighing. "This sure is a burden. Let's go back to the-."

"You're right..." I cut in blandly, earning glances from the others. "This is quite a hindrance...but it's just a minor injury. No point in quitting, ne Naru-kun?"

I toss him a kunai which he easily catches. "You know what to do right?" I ask as I form an ice kunai.

We share a telling glance before driving the kunai into our skin.

*stab* *stab*

"Ehh? Naruto, Riku-kun… what are you two doing?!" Sakura exclaims in worry.

"Heh... even though I've always been with you... Why… why am I different?" He sends me a pained glance. "I completed many missions and trained every day, but I couldn't do anything when it counted huh..." He shakes his head before directing his gaze to the others. "I won't hold you guys back. From now on, I'll never be frightened and back down from anything. I will beat Sasuke and Riku. I swear on this wound on my left hand. I am going to protect the old man. The mission is still on." Naruto states confidently.

Through Naruto's speech, the ice kunai melts, entering the wound before a thin trail of blood dribbles out. The water quickly flushes the poison, making it land in a gurgling heap on the ground before sealing the cut. No trace of the injury remains. This is one of the perks of being a water bender. I allow a small smile to grace my face as I watch the determined look on his face.

"Naruto, it's good that you took out the poisoned blood so enthusiastically… but if you lose any more blood you're going to die." Kaka-sensei points out.

The smile drops from my face. 'Of course you would ruin the moment Kaka-sensei...' I deadpan. I shake my head when I notice Naruto's complexion considerably paling. "Cue scream in 5...4…3…" I count down.

"It's not good if you don't stop it right away. Seriously." Kaka-sensei adds cheerfully while squatting right next to him.

"2…1…"

"AHHHH! No, no, no, no! I can't die like this!" Naruto yells, flailing his arms over his head.

"Just show me your hand." Kaka-sensei asks. Naruto quickly agrees.

"Baka." I bump Kaka-sensei on the back of the head. "Don't say things like that just for your own amusement…he'll take you seriously."

"Hmm…" Kaka-sensei mutters.

I frown at Kaka-sensei's furrowed expression. 'What is he thinking about…' Following his gaze, I see the cut on Naruto's hand knitting itself together. 'Ahh… at least I don't have to worry him killing himself any time soon.' I thought before cracking a smile at the opportunity presented to me.

"Sensei~ you better stop holding Naruto's hand or people will get the wrong impression of you." I warn with a wry look, earning a horrified look from Naruto.

"EH?! Kakashi-sensei, I don't swing that way!" He tries to yank his hand away, only to have Kaka-sensei tighten his grip.

"Just hold still..." Kaka-sensei mutters with a tired sigh. "I'll just bandage it and we'll be on our way." He pulls out a roll of bandages before busying himself with wrapping the cut. Naruto eyes him warily for a moment before sending a mock glare my way.

"That's not funny, Riku..."

I send him a small smile. "But you're not sad anymore, are you?" I answer softly. Naruto looks at me in surprise, but before he can comment, Kaka-sensei tells us to continue on our way.

Clamping him mouth shut, Naruto furrows his brows in thought.

**{~}**

~On a boat~

All of us gaze at the mist as we continue to make our way through the water and into Tazuna's homeland. The mist gives us perfect cover from prying eyes and with the engine off, there is nothing to bring attention to ourselves. Even with all the advantages, rowing to shore is still time-consuming.

Leaning over the edge of the boat, Naruto peers around the area from his seat at the very tip of the boat. Sasuke and Sakura merely glance downward from their position behind Naruto whereas Kakashi, Tazuna, and I watch the area from the back of the boat with the boatman.

"The mist is so thick I can't see what's ahead." Sakura whispers to no one in particular.

"Ahh… but that's the point. No need to gain unwanted attention from …a certain rich conniving man…" I mutter while pulling my hat over my eyes. I feel the curious looks directed my way, but I merely shrug them off. No reason to explain myself, not when someone else who knows the situation better than I do can.

"We'll see the bridge soon. If we move along the side of the bridge, we'll be at the Country of Waves." The boatman adds somberly.

I tilt my hat up slight to see the bridge coming into view. 'Quite a bridge they have there. I hope Naruto is smart enough not to…'

"It's huge!" Naruto exclaims.

I pull my hat further down my face. '…Nevermind.'

"Hey! Be quiet! We're using the mist to cover us and I shut off the engine. We can't get caught or we'll be in trouble!" The boatman whispers harshly to Naruto while looking around.

"Tazuna-san. Before the boat gets to the pier, I have to ask you something - the identity of the ones who are after you and the reason they are after you. Or we can call this mission off when you get ashore." Kaka-sensei warns.

Tazuna sighs. "I guess I have to tell you the real story. As you have said, this mission is beyond the job description. An extremely terrible man is after my life." Tazuna pauses.

I let out a sigh. "It's Gatoh isn't it?" I tilt my hat away from my eyes before peering at the water.

"You've heard of him?" Tazuna asks surprised. Everyone gazes at me in interest.

I offer them a shrug. "I learned a bit about him when I was glancing at Ojii-san's paperwork." I answer dully. "Marine transportation billionaire…known for his underground network of gangs and ninjas who smuggle drugs and contraband goods. His hostile takeovers of companies and countries are also known." I list out before glancing at Tazuna with a smirk. "Now what would someone like that want with you Tazuna-san?"

'Why not let him finish his story…'

He looks at me warily before glancing down sadly. "A year ago, he set his sights on the Country of Wave. He entered this country using violence and wealth as a shield and he quickly took over the island's sea traffic and transportation. On an island such as ours, controlling the sea means ruling over the wealth, politics, and people. And the one thing Gatoh is afraid of is the completion of the bridge that has been under construction for quite some time." Tazuna explains.

"I see. So you, as the bridge builder, became an obstacle for him." Sakura adds.

"Then those ninjas were sent by Gatoh." Sasuke continues.

"Ahh... basically." I say while brushing my bangs out of my eyes. "And if he's smart or just plain afraid, he's going to send a stronger ninja after us next."

Almost everyone stiffens at my comment.

"Ahh… was it something I said?" I ask as I see the shocked faces of my teammates.

'Guess they didn't think about that…'

Kaka-sensei's next question breaks everyone out of the trance.

"But I don't understand. He's a dangerous man that uses ninjas. Why did you hide that fact when we came with you?"

Tazuna releases a strained sigh. "The Wave Country is a really poor country. Even the feudal lords are suffering from poverty. We don't have enough money to pay for a B ranked mission. If you quit your mission after I land, I'll be killed for sure… But there's no need for you to blame yourselves."

His immediate submission for the situation catches my attention. I quirk a brow. 'What are you playing at old man?'

"Only my cute eight year old grandson will cry and cry and cry some more. And my daughter will just hold a grudge against Konoha's ninja and live a lonely life. But it's not your fault." He states with a smile.

I sweat drop. 'When you put it that way… there's no way we're going to say no…' I shake my head. 'Conniving old man…'

Kakashi scratches the bridge of his nose.

"I guess it can't be helped. We will continue escorting you." Kaka-sensei states with a sweat drop.

"That's good to hear." Tazuna states with a gleeful smile while holding a peace sign. You can almost see the words 'I won' from that gesture.

"We're almost there. It seems no one noticed us." The boatman informs Tazuna.

As we reach the end of the tunnel, we see lines of houses situated over the water by wooden supports. Trees surround the remaining houses located on the cove. As we get closer to the pier, I let a small smile creep on my face as I listen to the calming waves, finally allowing a semblance of peace to settle on my form.

'It's been a while since I've felt this at ease... must be because we're surrounded by so much water. But even so, this isn't the time to relax...' My smile drops. 'There's still a mission we have to complete.' I thought before following the others off the boat.

**{~}**

~Forest trail~

'A new game has begun…' I thought as I feel a sense of foreboding settle on my skin. 'So far no signs of an attack... it's too safe...'

*swish*

I blink in confusion before glancing up to see Naruto and Sasuke rushing past me as if they were trying to get ahead of the other. Naruto then runs further ahead before throwing a kunai into a nearby bush. Kaka-sensei, Sakura, and Tazuna stare on with wide eyes whereas Sasuke and I sweat drop at the scene.

'Why am I not surprised...' I shake my head in disbelief before face palming.

Naruto plays it off by saying it was just a mouse, while Sakura, Tazuna, and Kaka-sensei scold him. He then throws another kunai at a nearby tree, earning a punch to the head courtesy of Sakura. Ignoring the bickering between Sakura and Naruto, Kaka-sensei walks over to the tree to find a white rabbit twitching from fear.

"Rabbit! Sorry I didn't mean it." Naruto apologizes while rubbing the rabbit against his cheek. I shake my head before walking over to examine the rabbit.

"I wonder why it's fur is white…" I say to myself. But it seems as though Kaka-sensei and Sasuke noticed as well and begin to wonder the same thing. I bend down to the rabbit and pet it, trying to help it overcome its shock as the frown on my face deepens. 'That was no fluke... Naruto sensed someone here before all of us... he just needs to learn how to use it.'

I shake myself out of my thoughts. "Ahh… something as cute as this was used as a decoy…" I mutter to myself. "How cruel."

"Everyone duck!" Kaka-sensei yells.

All of us fall to the ground, barely missing the sword swinging at us. It embeds itself into a tree with a resounding thunk before a ninja appears on the hand - eyes trained on Kaka-sensei.

"Oh, my, my, you are Momochi Zabuza, the exiled ninja of the Village Hidden in the Mist." Kaka-sensei says nonchalantly as he takes a few steps forward.

Naruto charges at the man, but Kaka-sensei holds out his arm to stop him.

"Stay back. He's different from the guys we met before."

With that, Kaka-sensei lifts his hand up to his headband.

"I'm sorry but I need you to hand over that geezer." Zabuza states.

"Everyone get into formation and protect Tazuna." Kaka-sensei said.

"Nani?" Naruto asks.

"To not interfere with this battle is teamwork." He lifts up the headband to reveal the sharingan in his left eye.

'I guess it's time to see you serious again Kaka-sensei.'

"I'm honored that I can see the sharingan I've hear about."

"You guys have been saying sharingan, but what is it?" Naruto asks.

[AN: Many already know this so I'm going to skip ahead to when the mist appears and after Naruto praises Kakashi.]

I glance around to see the mist creeping in around us. Sasuke; however, continues to stare at Kaka-sensei intently, probably curious as to why Kaka-sensei has the eye technique trademark to the Uchiha clan.

Zabuza crouches down on the sword. "Let's cut the chit-chat. I have to kill the geezer right away."

All of us rush to Tazuna and get into formation. Sasuke stands right in front of Tazuna, while Sakura is to the right, Naruto to the left, and me right behind.

Zabuza looks at us curiously. "But, Kakashi, it seems I have to defeat you first."

He grabs his sword and disappears into the mist before reappearing atop the water of a nearby lake.

"Mist concealment."

The mist grows thicker and Zabuza disappears from view. Kaka-sensei walks to the front of our formation.

"He'll try to eliminate me first, but…"

"What is he?" Sakura asks.

I cast her a side glance. "Human." I deadpan.

She sends me a scowl. "Be serious." She grits out.

"I am. If you want to be more specific then he's male." I jest, deepening her scowl.

Kaka-sensei shakes his head. "More specific Riku."

Sakura gawks at the two of us, probably wondering if we're actually taking the possibility of us being killed seriously. We are. We're just not letting Zabuza weaken our psyche. That simple.

Heaving a sigh, Kaka-sensei continues. "To be more specific, he's Momochi Zabuza. He was in the Village Hidden in the Mist's ANBU, and was known for his silent killing techniques."

"Silent…?" Naruto repeats.

"Just as the name implies, it's a killing technique that's executed in a flash, and carried in absolute silence. It's possible that you'll be dead before you realize it. And I cannot use my sharingan to its fullest potential so don't let your guard down… but if you fail you're only going to die." Kaka-sensei states nonchalantly.

Sakura sends him a bland look. "You're so carefree…"

"Ahh… then all we have to do is not fail then." I state with a smirk.

Everyone just looks at me as though I'm insane.

'I guess they're wondering why I'm so calm, but it's not like I'm going to straight out tell them why.' My expression darkens. 'Some things are best not known…'

As the mist grows thicker, the tension in the air slowly rises. In response, Kaka-sensei channels his chakra, dissipating the nearby mist. I glance at Sasuke and see him trembling. Both his knuckles bleed white from exerting excessive pressure on the kunai. His anxiety blankets us, suffocating us further. Frowning, I reach over and grab his arm. He snaps his attention to me.

"Ahh... calm down." I release my grip. "Getting worked up when nothing has happened yet is a waste. That only gives Zabuza some sick enjoyment. Besides, we haven't lost yet, have we?" I ask wryly.

He relaxes his grip on the kunai slightly before scoffing. "Of course you'd say that."

I offer him a shrug.

"Don't worry."

We turn to Kaka-sensei to see him giving us a comforting smile. "I will protect all four of you with my life. I won't let anyone on my team die."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that…" Zabuza cuts in.

In that moment, he appears in the formation, readying his sword to cleave us. I tackle Tazuna away, while Kaka-sensei stabs Zabuza with his kunai. Oddly enough, water begins dripping out of the body.

I shift myself in a crouch before Tazuna. 'A water clone? Then that means…'

"Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto yells.

The body reverts back to water as the Zabuza behind Kaka-sensei cleaves him with his sword. Kaka-sensei's body reverts back to water as well. Right after, Kaka-sensei reappears behind Zabuza with a kunai against his throat.

"Don't move."

All of us stay crouched to the ground, sending wary or relieved glances to Kaka-sensei.

I frown. 'This feels too easy...'

If Zabuza was once in ANBU like Kaka-sensei then he wouldn't have been caught this easily.

'Bikoume.'

I activate my eyes, seeing Zabuza disappearing from view before bringing down his sword. But before I can make out anything else out, a stinging sensation spreads throughout my eyes. Gritting my teeth in pain, I clench my eyes shut. It didn't help. Images of water continue to flash through my mind.

'Water… then that means there's chakra in the water…and a ninjutsu will be cast there…?'

The pain in my eyes escalates, further blurring the images before me. Distracted by the pain, I can only make out snippets of the conversation.

"You can't defeat me- -imitations. I - - you -. But I can - - you - - I see that - copied my water clone - - - -. By making - - - as if it was the real one, - diver- my a—ention to the –one. The real one used the mist - - and ob- my mov-. However… I am -that easy – defeat."

"That's a fake - !" Naruto yells.

My vision continues to blur, further disorienting me, but I feel water splashing in my face. Closing my eyes, I allow my ears to pick up the sounds of Zabuza's sword, a kick, and running footsteps. I then hear someone diving into the water.

"Sensei!" Naruto yells.

I rub my eyes again before cracking them open. The stinging finally calms to be only a mild irritation. I look over to the water to see Kaka-sensei struggling to get up. I try bending the water, but it refuses to move.

'Zabuza must have put his chakra into the water…. I can't bend it….' I realize as I clench my fists. 'I can't do anything…'

"Baka. Hydro-prison jutsu."

A sphere of water encases Kakashi.

"Now then, Kakashi… I'm going to finish you off later. First I'm going to get rid of them. Water clone jutsu."

A water clone of Zabuza forms from a nearby puddle.

"The four of you have forehead protectors on as if you think you're a ninja. But ninjas are those who have gone through numerous life and death situations. In other words, you can call yourself a ninja when you appear in my bingo book. You four aren't ninja."

With that, Zabuza disappears into the mist once again. I look to everyone. Sakura and Naruto are trembling uncontrollably while Sasuke carefully surveys our surroundings.

'Rather grim odds...' I realize. '... but it's not over yet.' Noticing a shift in the water, I glance to the side to see Zabuza behind Naruto. 'Naru!' Pumping chakra into my legs, I shield Naruto from most of the blow. Zabuza's foot connects painfully with my back, sending us flying several feet away.

*clink*

Naruto's headband skids on the floor.

"Naruto! Riku!" Sakura yells.

I shake my head before wincing from the hit. 'He just had to hit there...' I thought in annoyance as a jolt of pain runs down my spine. 'Guess some wounds never quite heal...'

I glance down at Naruto to see him immobilized by fear. His eyes stare unseeingly ahead as his body continues to be wracked by uncontrollable shudders.

"Naru…" I mutter out, trying to get his attention, only to receive nothing in response.

I clench my hands. 'This isn't good… I can't hold off the water clone on my own… and our only chance is to free Kaka-sensei from the water prison… but even then that's a gamble…' My mind filters through possible scenarios before I let out a dry laugh. 'Ahh... looks like that's the only choice then.'

"Everyone! Get Tazuna-san and run! You can't win against him! He can't move as long as he has me trapped in this water prison. He also won't be able to use his water clone once you get away from him! Run now!" Kaka-sensei yells.

"Ahh… sorry sensei but running isn't an option." I pull my hat further down my face. "It's fight or be killed from this point on. Besides," I stand in front of Naruto. "I'm not worthless trash who abandons his comrades."

"R-riku…" Naruto stutters out.

Zabuza looks on in amusement. "Huh… Wasted words gaki. I'll be sure to finish you off slowly."

My vision once again blurs before tendrils of pain pulse through my eyes. 'Not again...' I thought with a grimace before pulling my hat further down my face. 'It's getting worse... so I'm almost at the next stage then... Luck is never on my side.' Ignoring the pain, I shift my gaze up to see Zabuza dangling Sasuke by the throat.

'That idiot! He went head-on?' Grinding my teeth in annoyance, I charge at the two. Noticing my approach, Zabuza chucks Sasuke at me. Tendrils of water wrap around Sasuke's form before lowering him safely to Sakura's side.

"That trick... it's almost like his. Let's see what else you have…" Zabuza mutters out as he grabs his sword.

As the water around my arm freezes into a blade, I send chakra throughout it to harden and sharpen the ice. We soon exchange blows with strength going in his favor. Each clang sends shocks through my arm but Zabuza merely presses on with no signs of fatigue. Scenes continue to flash through my eyes, allowing me to make several close calls. At times the pain in my eyes escalates to a point where my focus slips, allowing Zabuza to carve several deep gashes into my torso and arms.

*clash* *clash*

"It seems as if you're running out of chakra…" Zabuza observes.

"Not.. *huff* even…" I breathe out.

'This can't last any longer…if I lose too much blood then…'

"Riku look out!"

I look to my left to see Zabuza about to cleave me in half with his sword. I stop his sword with my ice blade, but his superior strength pushes me down to my knee.

"You have guts kid. I'll admit that, but this is the end." With that, Zabuza pushes down harder on his sword. The muscles in my arm scream at the growing pressure, begging for a moment of rest. I couldn't give it to them, not without losing an arm in the process.

"Riku!" Naruto yells out.

"Get out of there!" Sakura yells.

'Gee… wonder why I didn't think of that… oh yeah he's trying to cleave me in half the moment I let up.' Sweat trails down the side of my face. 'Damn it... I was almost there...'

*swish*swish*

Several shuriken fly at Zabuza, making him jump away.

"About time." I mutter before water tentacles strangle his body. I send Sasuke an appreciative glance before facing Zabuza once again.

"Nani?" He chokes out. I send him a neutral gaze. With a snap of my fingers, ice spikes erupt from the puddle, impaling his body before it returns to water. I drive my sword into the ground, using it to heave myself up. Several tendrils of water creep along my arms to heal the cuts into more shallow ones before splattering back onto the ground.

'Can't afford to waste too much energy...' I thought before gazing at the puddle. 'I guess he never noticed how I directed us closer and closer to the puddles... still, this isn't over yet.'

"Riku! You did it!" Naruto cheers.

"Not *huff* the time to *huff* celebrate…" I breathe out, feeling the fatigue slowly creeping back.

Before I can react, another clone appears from the puddle and holds me by the throat.

"Ack." I dig my nails into the ice clone's arm, but it does not lessen its hold.

"Well, well… I never expected a ninja from Konoha to specialize in water techniques... almost as well as him. It seems as if you were meant to be a mist ninja." Zabuza observes. "Too bad I didn't find you earlier… you could have been a great weapon."

Flecks of black invade my vision.

"Let him go!" Naruto yells.

I can't make out what's happening around me anymore. I hear the sound of a kick and Naruto's voice. Everything is too garbled, too unclear, but next thing I know, my back connects painfully against a tree. Everything continues to fade in and out, allowing me to hear only snippets of words.

"Still - - play ninja? When I - your age, my hands - - soaked in blood."

"The Demon -." Kaka-sensei mutters.

"- - - you've heard - me."

"A long - -, - Village Hidden - - Mist - known as - Village - - Bloody Mist. - - -, - - - obstacle - existed - become - ninja."

"The fi- test." Zabuza continues.

"- final te-?" Naruto asks.

Zabuza merely chuckles.

"What's - final test?" Naruto asks.

I slowly get up on all fours and face Naruto.

"An elimination game… friends were separated into groups of two and … forced to fight each other to the death. Friends that have eaten together, helped each other, shared their dreams, and competed together… all of that was thrown away in a single moment." I state through my bangs. My hat had fallen off from the collision, allowing my blue hair to pool around me.

"Hmm it seems that the brat knows a thing or two about it." Zabuza comments with slight amusement.

"How awful…" Sakura states.

"Ten years ago, the Village Hidden in the Mist had to go through a reformation. Because in the previous year, a monster appeared that finally decided it." Kaka-sensei continues.

"A reformation…? What did that monster do?" Sakura asks.

I let out a dry chuckle when I hear Sakura say monster. No one really notices except Zabuza.

"A small boy who had not even gained the right to become a ninja killed more than 100 of the candidates that year, and killed them all without hesitation."

"That was fun." Zabuza adds as a crazed look enters his eyes.

In an instant, Zabuza kicks Sasuke before elbowing him into the ground.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yells.

I snap out of my musings and rush forward only to collapse back into the ground. 'Nani? Why won't my body get up…' Pain travels down my back, causing me to stifle a groan. Naruto looks at me before returning his gaze to Sasuke. I once again strain to push myself off the ground, only to feel pain coursing throughout my body as my limbs shake from the added stress. It didn't take long for the same thing to happen. I fall in a heap. Gritting my teeth in pain, I look over to see Zabuza grinding his foot into Sasuke's chest. A similar scene flashes through my eyes.

_"How useless... you've grown soft. How pathetic. Get up." _

_I don't respond. _

_"I see... Let this be a lesson to you. Insubordination is not tolerated." _

_Searing pain._

"Die." Zabuza mutters with a menacing smirk.

"Damn it!" Naruto and I yell before ice encases my arms.

With a feral cry, I drive an ice claw through the clone's back.

"Nani?" The clone asks before disappearing.

"Tch." I lower my ice claws. 'I didn't want to resort to this state... I only have a short amount of time before I lose control.'

I glance down at Naruto to see him grasping his fallen headband and Sasuke's tattered form. As Naruto raises his gaze to match mine, surprise and anxiety floods his face.

"Riku you're eye… it's-"

Before Naruto can finish, several more Zabuza clones appear.

'Damn. He's pulling the stops... he's not messing around much anymore...' I thought in annoyance. 'I was too hasty... I should have played the weakling card.'

A clone lets out a chuckle before facing me. "I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to be able to get back up. Heh... you're not like the other kids are you? Your expression says it all."

I ignore him. "Oi Naru. Think you're up to using that prankster mind of yours?" I question as I lock my gaze on the targets.

"Heh. You better believe it!" He states with a smug smile before his expression takes on one of worry. "But Riku… I thought… in that form-"

I cut him off. "I know. Leave that to me. Just execute your plan. I know if anything happens, you'll bring me back ne?" I finish as I cast him a side glance. He nods before taking Sasuke to the side. With that, I charge into the fray.

Stray strands block some of my vision, but it can't be helped. I just had to keep attacking. Keep killing. Keep fighting. That simple.

'Guess my hair is a dead give away I'm a girl… he's an idiot if he doesn't figure it out after this.' I thought in annoyance as I drive my claws through another clone, only to have several others take its place. Realizing I posed the most threat, the clones focus on taking me out, closing me off from the others. Fueled by the speed and power boost akin to the berserker state, I evade most of the attacks before chucking my sword into the fray as a distraction to eliminate more of the clones. Minor cuts litter my skin but they quickly burn away.

_"If you don't want to die, then they have to." A man speaks from the shadows._

_I stare at the circle of blank faces around me. Where was their humanity? _

_"I..." I clench my hands. "I.. I can't..."_

_The man closes his eye."I see... then die."_

_Pain. _

_"People will only betray you." _

_More pain. _

_"To end it, trust no one. Kill all who oppose you." _

_"I-"_

*stab*

A clone impales the sword into my shoulder before ripping through the muscles. With a strangled cry, I send ice spikes to impale it before staggering back as the wound slowly burns away. The clone dodges.

"Riku!"

"Ignore it!" I growl out. "Finish your plan!"

"But... Just hang on a bit longer!" Naruto calls back.

*ba-dump*ba-dump*

I clench my chest as my canines elongate. Time's running out.

"Heh... I see it now..." A clone chuckles. "You're your own little monster."

A growl rips through my throat.

_The bodies fall uselessly to the ground in crumpled heaps. I glance down at my shaking hands, seeing them coated in warm blood - blood belonging to the people once standing before me. _

_*clang*clang*clang*_

_A wooden walking stick resounds in the room, signaling the man's presence. _

_"This is just the beginning. It's kill or be killed. You're stained with blood and will always be." _

_I don't say anything before rounding my claws at him. _

I stab through another clone, ignoring the slash across my arm.

_Pain. _

_I crumple to the ground before restraints chain my limbs to the ground. _

_"You're nothing but a beast, our greatest monster. Now, relearn your place!"_

_He taps the stick on the ground. Only pain and darkness follow._

A clone grabs me from behind, holding me firmly in place to allow a another clone a chance to attack. I manage to escape, but a clone manages to deliver a well-aimed slash across my back. Blood paints the ground crimson as I stagger backwards as the wound once again burns away.

"Riku-kun!"

Sakura's panicked voice echoes through the area, catching the attention of the others. Shock is painted across Naruto's face before a feral growl rumbles within his chest, causing the others to look at Naruto in confusion.

"You really are a piece of work kid… you would have made a valuable weapon to me. Too bad you won't get the chance!" The Zabuza clones charge once, but several kunai destroy them, causing them to halt in their steps. I chance a glance back to see Sasuke and Naruto glaring defiantly back.

"You have to get through us before you get to him you eyebrow-less freak!" Naruto growls out as his eyes flash crimson for a moment before returning to their normal azure. It was obvious the remark didn't sit well with Zabuza.

"Heh. Don't think we'll let you have all the fun Riku." Sasuke remarks with a smirk. "Leave this to us. You've done enough."

"Naru… Sasuke…" I trail off as I see a clone charge at the two of them.

"Sasuke!" Naruto signals before throwing a windmill shuriken. He catches it before a smirk enters his face.

"Don't get cocky brat!" The clone exclaims as it attempts to cleave Sasuke in half, only to be met with a wall of ice. "Don't ignore me," I growl out before it reverts back to water from my ice claws impaling its abdomen. "Need a lift?" I ask Sasuke before he sends a nod in my direction. Before more clones form, I create an ice platform before using water from the nearby puddle to propel Sasuke into the air, giving him a clear shot to the real Zabuza. The real Zabuza catches the first shuriken before noticing the second one coming his way. Panic covers his expression before a smug expression quickly replaces it when he jumps over it. I click my tongue in annoyance, but knowing Naruto, there had to be more to this plan. Not a moment too soon, the second shuriken transforms into Naruto who throws a kunai at the hand sustaining the water prison, causing Zabuza to release the jutsu. Rage floods his face, but before Zabuza can throw the windmill shuriken at Naruto, Kaka-sensei uses his hand to block the blow.

'Looks like this battle is up to you now… sensei…ugh.. what..' *ba-dump*ba-dump*ba-dump* 'The time limit…' I thought as my ice claws revert back to water. My breathing becomes labored as my vision begins to fade in and out. Flecks of red invade my vision before the figures before me take on menacing forms. 'Not now... I-'

"Riku!" I hear Naruto's panic-filled voice as my awareness slowly ebbs away. A low growl rumbles in my throat as I glance up to match Naruto's panic stricken blue eyes. A small gleam of crimson enters his irises before disappearing from my sight. Confusion enters my mind at the phenomenon, but I ignore it as a sense of calmness enters me before I feel myself falling. My body slowly comes to a halt. My vision blurs once again. The last things I see are Sasuke and Naruto catching me before I hit the ground and the image of two water dragons fighting.

'Seems like I established the second stage of the Bikoume… Things are going to be more irritating from here on out…' I thought before I fall prey to darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So how was that? Riku received a ring from someone but it seems like she doesn't remember who. Guess we'll find out later on. Will Naruto figure out that Riku's a girl or will she just have to outright tell him? How will everyone else react and will she go back to being a girl now? How is Riku going to put up with the restart phase? Read the next chapter to find out. ~<strong>

**Please review.~**

**(Edited 7/1/14)**


	5. Chapter 5: Shifting Views

-Chapter 5: Shifting Views-

**AN: Thank you for everyone who favorite my story and placed it on their story alerts. Thank you to ****Tenshin-no-Tsubasa**** and ****Sanao Mikaru**** for reviewing. Overall, I would like to thank everyone who has read this story and I hope you will continue to until the end. This chapter has more of Riku's past for character development. So here's the next chapter. Enjoy~**

*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 2)*

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><p><strong>Other notes:<strong>

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks/mindscape_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante.**

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><p>~Dream sequence~<p>

_-Flashback-_

**_(Third person perspective) _**

_A young woman with dark blue hair can be seen tending the flowers in the garden. She hears the rustling of leaves and turns to the right. Not long after, a young girl with silver eyes and blue hair wanders into the garden, a frown marring her face. _

_"__Oka-san why do they call me a monster?" The young girl asks as her bangs fall over her face. Her hair was disheveled, but it seemed the girl didn't mind._

"_Riku, y__ou're not a monster. Our clan is just surprised that you would acquire this ability. We thought it was gone." The mother explains as she bends down to hold her daughter's hands. "You let your hair down again? Here, let me tie it for you." She offers as she turns her daughter before busying herself with the loose strands of hair. _

_"__But… why are they scared of me?" The girl mutters out as she gazes down at the ground. _

_The mother's hands momentarily pause before they continue gathering strands of hair. A sad smile creeps along her face as a she closes her eyes, "__People tend to be afraid of things they don't understand. You'll just have to prove yourself to them." She finishes as she ties the girl's hair into pigtails. "Why don't I tell you a story? I think you'll like this one." _

"_What does a story have to do with this?" Riku asks as she gazes at her mother's tired blue eyes. _

"_All stories hold some truth in them. Remember that." She replies as she taps her daughter's nose. "Now then... there once was a girl born into this clan. Her hair was as black as night, eyes red as blood. She possessed a power no one had ever seen before, the ability to control elements to their fullest potential, the same control and power as that of the first benders. Do you know who they were? _

"_Um… dragons right?" The young girl mutters out while tilting her head to the side._

"_Yes. Her bending was eerily similar to that of the dragons. At first, the villagers favored her, praised her, treated her as a precious treasure. But not long after, fear consumed the villagers. They believed her to be nothing short of a demon; a girl who wanted nothing more than to help the village with all her heart was considered a monster. She was captured, chained, tortured… all out of fear."_

"_Why didn't she fight back?" _

_A sad smile enters the woman's face. "Even through everything, she still loved her clan, the village, everyone who harmed her. However, there were people who still loved her, people who wanted to save her. Some called them her guardians. She knew her guardians still cared about her, so she chose to suffer in the hope she would see them again. But as more and more time passed, loneliness and solitude ate away at her. She lost hope. Her heart slowly blackened, and she eventually turned into the demon the villagers all feared."_

"_What happened to her? Why did the people who cared about her… forget her?" A frown enters Riku's face._

"_They never meant to. They had been hunted down as well… When they found her… she was nothing more than a shell of her former self. She attacked everything and everyone. It wasn't until they decided to seal her away that peace finally came."_

"_So they killed her?" Riku asks dejected. _

"_No. They… hid her somewhere, in hopes that she would return to her normal self. They wanted to see her as a human, not as the being the village created. Her pure heart was still within her blackened one, though flickering. They believed that one day they would see her again."_

"_Did they ever see her again?" _

"_At times they had…though in a different appearance." The mother answers cryptically, "But as more time passed, they slowly drifted apart…some finding others to protect…some pursuing the girl's goal for peace... others losing sight of themselves for power to prevent the past from repeating, leaving only one guardian still searching for her. Some say he's still out there, still looking for her." The woman adds as a wry smile enters her face. "The guardian that remained…" _

"_Oka-san?" Riku mutters out, confusion evident on her face. _

"_It's nothing. Just thinking out loud." The woman replies with a smile. "Do you think you understand the story?" _

"_You mean I shouldn't let the clan make me a monster?" _

_The question catches the woman off guard but she merely smiles in response. "It seems you understand. __Always remember who you are Riku. No matter what anyone says, you are still Riku." She holds the child close as if it would be her last time. _

_"__Why are you saying these things now? Is everything alri-" _

_Before Riku could finish, the mother hits her behind the neck, knocking her out. _

_-memory lapse-_

_"__Forgive me Riku, but this is the only way to protect you."_

_-memory lapse-_

_Flashes of light and smoke cover the area. Riku's eyes snap open as pain-filled cries fill her ears._

_-memory lapse-_

_"__Oka-san! Oto-san! Riku yells. _

_Corpses litter the ground and blood is strewn across the buildings. A scream could be heard from the child's home. _

_-memory lapse-_

"_O-oka-s-san … oka-san!" _

_Hearing her daughter's voice, the woman glances back. Her eyes soften before she sends Riku a reassuring smile before mouthing the two words:_

_'Keep living.'_

_The room erupts in azure flames, slowly encasing the mother and her opponent behind the walls of the inferno. Snake-like eyes wander to the child before the flames cover his form. _

"_Run, run away while you still can prey."_

_-memory lapse-_

_The child faces two ninja standing over the bloodied corpses of her clan. _

"_Well, well, well … if it isn't the monster. I wonder why he would want a kid like you. Let's see if you put up a better fight than this scum." _

_Riku stares down at the stranger's feet to see her father's corpse. Glass-like eyes gaze back at her. _

_"Oto-san..." Riku murmurs before her body trembles uncontrollably. "H-how could you...?" Her canines elongate. "HOW COULD YOU!" _

_In that instant, the Riku's eyes turn a demonic red and everything fades back into darkness. _

_-End Flashback-_

**{~}**

_**(First person perspective)**_

'_Oka-san… oto-san… I finally remember them… their faces… but why did it have to be from their final moments…' I thought with a slight frown._

_I glance around at my surroundings only to be met with a never ending corridor of darkness._

'_Looks like I'm still asleep…how do I get out of here…?' _

_A glimmer of light appears to my left before the surroundings morph into another memory._

'_Another memory...? Well, as long as I'm here, why waste the show?' I thought with a small smile._

_The darkness morphs into a vaguely familiar street near the Uchiha compound._

"_Where am I now…or better yet when?" I ask myself. _

_I walk along the trail before seeing a man carrying a young Sasuke on his back. His black hair is tied back in a low ponytail and he had two lines on his face. He whispers something to Sasuke, causing a pout to appear on the young boy's face. The man continues to walk as he talks with Sasuke before pausing and sending a smile my way. _

"_Do I know you?" I ask. _

_He doesn't respond and walks right through me. _

'_Ahh… so I'm just an observer…' I frown. _

_I turn around and see a blue-haired girl run up to the man. She had silver eyes and looks just like …me? _

"_-nii!" The girl yells before tackling his legs. _

_My frown deepens_. '_Why can't I remember his name? Who is he… a relative of Sasuke's?' _

"_Riku-chan. It's nice to see you. I have to take Sasuke home right now. Do you want to come with us?" The man asks. _

"_Of course." The girl says as the man reaches out for her hand. _

_I look around and see the other civilians eyeing the girl. _

"_Why is - allowing a monster like her near him?"_

"_He's too kind. He must have felt pity for the thing." _

"_A monster like her should be killed off." _

'_Out of all the things I could remember… it had to be those comments…' My fists clench at the words but I keep my face impassive. I knew how this would play out… he would just be like everyone else… _

_But what happens next surprises me. The man turns around and glares at the women, immediately silencing them. He turns to the girl and pats her on the head in an attempt to comfort her. Her face is expressionless whereas her hands are clenched tightly at her sides, mirroring my actions now. Sasuke appears to be upset from the comments, but smiles at the girl. _

"_Riku-chan. I don't see you as a monster. You're my friend. Nothing's going to change that." Sasuke states with a smile. _

_Her hands loosen their hold as she faces Sasuke._ "_I don't mind it Sasuke. I'm … used to this sort of thing." The girl states with a fake smile. _

"_You shouldn't pretend to be happy when you're not." The man states before poking the little Riku on the forehead, causing said girl to hold her forehead and release a small pout. "Let's get going. It's getting late." He adds as he holds his hand out to the girl once again. A smile forms across her face as she grabs it._

"_Don't worry Riku-chan. Aniki and I promised we wouldn't let anything happen to you." Sasuke states as he gazes down at the girl below him. _

_A large smile creeps along the girl's face as she hugs the older boy around the legs, causing the older boy to chuckle and pat the girl on top of the head. "I know." She responds before taking the hand once again offered to her. The three figures continue to make their way through the darkening streets as the scene disappears, leaving me once again in the endless darkness. _

'_I was friends with …Sasuke? I find that a bit hard to believe, but it really was his voice I remembered…' I thought as I cross my arms. 'Guess he was one of the faceless figures. He seems so different now, but that was definitely him. As for his brother, I can't remember his name…maybe it'll come to me later…Well, looks like now's the best time to wake up. Pain is always the best bet.'_

_Releasing a sigh as I glance down at my arm, "It's not the most sanitary method but this is a dream so what do I care." _

_Shrugging, I bite down before the darkness begins to fade. _

~End Dream Sequence~

* * *

><p>~At Tazuna's house~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

I open my eyes to see the ceiling of an unfamiliar room.

'Looks like we made it back alright…' I thought with a sigh before glancing out the window to see clear skies and tranquil waters. A raven calmly stares back at me from its perch on the windowsill. I send it a curious glance before a dull ache hits the back of my skull.

_"Karasu..." I murmur sadly before holding the bird close to my chest. Its wing had been broken by several boys tossing rocks at it. The bird looks up at me with mismatched eyes before pecking at my hand in an attempt to escape my grasps. _

'Raven?' I furrow my brows.

_I watch the birds from the windowsill before burrowing my head deeper into my arms. 'He really did leave after he healed...' I thought before feeling something tap my head. Glancing up, I see the raven gazing down at me curiously. I blink. "Karasu?" _

_Karasu grabs the sleeve of my shirt, pulling me in the direction of the window. _

I blink away the scene before gazing back at the bird. It continues to gaze at me before flying off. Rubbing the back of my head, I let out a sigh. 'What was that... so I saved a raven when I was younger... big deal... I took care of many birds at the compound. Still, why do I still remember him?'

"Looks like you're finally up."

I snap out of my thoughts.

"I think you should cover up a bit before the others come in."

I glance over to the doorway to see a woman with long black hair smiling down at me.

I eye her warily. "... No offense or anything but…who are you?"

"I'm Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter." She begins before leaning against the door frame. "Now, I wonder why a girl like you would dress up as a boy."

"What are you…?" I look down and see my chest and waist covered in bandages. I stare blankly down at myself before hastily pulling the blanket over myself only to have to fly out of my hands from the excess force.

'Well, that didn't work…at least my shorts are still on.' I thought in annoyance as I finger a strand of hair. 'Even my hair is down. Damn, guess the game's over…that was short…'

Tsunami merely laughs.

"When that boy carried you in, he insisted on treating you himself but once he opened your jacket… well let's just say almost everyone was surprised." She explains in amusement.

'Most likely Naruto... I can't believe I missed his face when he found out.' I shake my head. 'I think this might have been the only way for him to find out.' I let out a dry laugh before turning back to Tsunami. "Ahh…so where are the others?"

"Oh they're talking to your sensei right now. They should be coming over here soon."

"Ahh… and my clothes?"

"Well, the ones you wore were ruined so we threw them away. I found another pair of clothes in your bag though. I'll give you some time to change before you meet everyone again."

With that, Tsunami leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Shuffling away from the futon, I reach into my bag, pulling out another set of clothes.

'How sad… Looks like the game's already over.'

I glance down at the clothes I wore as a boy before stuffing them back into the bag and pulling out another set. 'Maybe it's about time I left that disguise alone... see what I've been missing if only for just this mission.'

I undo the bandages, allowing them to pool around my feet. I glance down at my torso, noticing the lack of scars before reaching awkwardly behind my back to feel the rough, jagged indents. I let out a shaky breath before redoing the bandages around my chest and torso.

_This is a reminder of your place. Never forget it._

'Never forget huh...' I thought dully before putting on the purple tank top and green sleeveless vest and hooking on the belts and pouches and water gourd. I glance at that metal cuffs on my wrist and shins before covering them with shin and forearm guards. Digging out several hair ties, I collect strands of hair before tying them into pigtails. Heaving out a sigh, I pick up my fallen headband before tying it around my neck and attaching my kunai holster to my right thigh, just at the end of my black shorts. I grip the ring hanging around my neck before releasing another sigh. 'If only that was one of the things I had forgotten...'

Seeing as it would be better to face the team now than later, I leave my room and look for the others.

"Ugh… my whole body is so sore… at least it's better than last time…I couldn't walk for 2 days." I mutter to myself as I crack my back and neck.

It didn't take me long to find Kaka-sensei's room, seeing as it's the only room overflowing with people. As I reach the room, I see a boy pass by and run up the stairs.

'I wonder what happened to him…' I frown. 'Was he crying?' Shrugging off the thought, I enter to room to see a fuming Naruto being held back by a disgruntled Sakura. Everyone else appears to be calm.

"Ahh… long time no see… what did I miss?" I ask while leaning against the door frame.

Everyone turns to me in surprise.

"It's been a while since I've seen you like that Riku." Kaka-sensei states while scratching the back of his head.

"E-Eh?! Y-you're really a girl then?" Naruto stutters as he shakily points a finger at my face. I nod. "Oh man," he shakes his head frantically before a red hue dusts his face. "L-look... I didn't know. I just, well, you see, you were covered in a lot of blood and since I've seen you treat injuries before I-I thought I could help you this time... so I undid some of the bandages and uh..." He face turns beet red. Sakura sends him a glare whereas Sasuke lets out an awkward cough and looks off to the side, having a bit of red forming on his face as well.

Kaka-sensei lets out a chuckle. "You three should get used to it. We're going to be a team for a while." I send him dull look whereas the others share looks of disbelief.

Shaking out of his stupor, Naruto sends me a cautious look before glancing down in thought. "Ano... Riku... you're not... you can't be..."

I let out a sigh. "I'm not mad you groped me when I was unconscious. Wished I could have seen your face when you found out though." I state offhandedly, earning choked gasps.

Kaka-sensei sweatdrops. "Still as blunt as ever I see..."

I shrug.

"T-that's not it!" Naruto's face becomes an unhealthy shade of red before he calms down. "You... you were my first friend, weren't you?"

Turning to him, I quirk a brow. "Ahh...I'd like to believe so..."

He shakes his head. "No. I mean," He takes a step forward. "When I asked you about the girl from the Amarante clan, you said she died. But that was a lie, wasn't it? You're her. It was always you."

'...So he figured it out... I really don't give him enough credit...'

I stare at him blankly for a moment before offering him a sad smile. "She no longer exists. I thought I told you that. You're not going senile are you? I know you're not as-"

"Stop with the riddles already!" He tackles me to the ground, earning a surprised cry from Sakura. "Just stop it..." His voices fades slightly as he stares at me with a pained expression. "I kept thinking about her... even when you said she died... something kept telling me you lied but I just ignored it. Now I find out you're her...I never thought it would be you." He lets out a hollow laugh that sounds just... wrong. "This whole time... you lied to me... did you just see me as another game piece?"

"Naru..." I start, but he cuts me off.

"You could have just told me! What stopped you?!"

Burying away the budding guilt, I send him a sly smile. "... Would you really have believed me?"

"Of course I-"

"We may be close, but I was never ... all there." I point to my head as I send him a wry smile. "Besides, the girl you first met... she really did die with the rest of her clan. Do you really think she would still exist under _that_ man's care?"

He grits his teeth in frustration before releasing a groan. "That... you didn't deserve any of that." His eyes flash crimson for a moment before returning back to its normal azure. Smiling softly I place my hands on the sides of his face before stretching out his cheeks.

"Ewh Wh-ku?!" He slurs.

"Ahh... that expression doesn't suit you at all." I tease before pulling the skin upward. "That's better." I pull his head further down as I whisper against the shell of his ear. "You can't expect to win Sakura's heart with such an expression ne?"

His face reddens as he lets out a stream of incoherent stutters.

"Also... as much as you like this position, could you get off me? You're heavy." I deadpan before releasing my grip on his face.

I didn't think it was possible, but his face further reddens before he gets up and rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, sorry... I forgot I was on top of you." He lets out a nervous chuckle, making sure to avoid my eyes by looking off to the side. "So does this mean your game is over now? No more tricks?"

I send him a wry smile as I stand. "You won the game, but as for tricks, I say we're both entitled to them. We're both tricksters aren't we?"

He stares at me dazed before sending me his trademark grin, albeit slightly forced. "Heh. Of course."

"You got to be kidding me..." I turn to Sakura. "I don't get those two... it's like the whole conversation took a 180." Sakura mutters as Sasuke shakes his head.

"Dobe." Sasuke mutters before he turns to face me. A look of recognition flashes across his face before it disappears as quickly as it came.

'I wonder what that look was for. It might be nothing though...'

My gaze lands on Sakura and her lack of enthusiasm in finding out I'm a girl is evident. Catching my gaze, she sends me a glare before looking off to the side.

'First she hits on me when I'm a guy, now she hates my guts… fantastic.' I thought as I gaze at her dully. 'She probably thinks I'll steal Sasuke from her or something. Sorry to say …not really…I'm not interested.'

"Getting back on topic, what did I miss?" I ask again, breaking the silence in the room.

"Well…"

Kaka-sensei retells the story, but when he gets to the part about the hunter nin, I can't help but think about the possibility of Zabuza being alive.

"So...You just let him go after that?" I frown. "Senbon aren't designed to deliver lethal blows. Usually they're for medical purposes or for knocking out the opponent..."

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei already explained that to us. Zabuza is still alive so I still have a chance to prove myself!" Naruto states with a fist pump.

"Ahh..." I shake my head at his words, "You're too simple-minded." I pause as a smile creeps onto my face, "But that's what makes you who you are."

Naruto merely smiles at my comment before Kaka-sensei cuts in.

"Well, we are going to train so if you're up to it, join in with us."

I merely smirk at his comment. 'I wonder what's going to happen this time….'

* * *

><p>~In the nearby forest~<p>

"We will now begin training." Kaka-sensei states while on crutches.

"Roger." Naruto states.

"But before that, let me once again talk about chakra, the base for the ability as a ninja."

Since I already knew what Kaka-sensei was talking about, I zoned out.

'Why do I remember Sasuke now but no one else… who was that man… why can't I remember him…? He seems like someone important… maybe he knows more about my past, but so could Sasuke… This is confusing…' *sigh*

"Riku, look out!" Naruto warns.

"Ahh… what is it?" I say before catching a kunai from that air. "Oh. How did this get here?" I ask as I stare at it blankly, causing my teammates to sweat drop at my obliviousness.

"Well seeing as you seemed so interested on the ground, I wanted to see if you fell asleep." Kaka-sensei states from his upside down position on the tree branch.

"Meaning you wanted to see if you could use my head as target practice?" I ask as I quirk a brow.

"I guess you could say that." He answers with an eye smile.

"Oh. That makes perfect sense." I answer dully, causing the rest of my teammates to sweat drop once again.

"Anyway, this training session has already started so I suggest you start." Kaka-sensei states happily from his spot on the tree. "Use that kunai to mark where you are able to climb with your current ability. Then try to make a new mark above that mark. Since you guys aren't good enough to climb by walking, get a running start to give yourself a boost and get used to it."

Naruto picks up a kunai from the ground. "This training is too easy for me! Since I'm the guy who is growing the most right now."

I stare at Naruto in confusion. 'Who told him that…?'

"Okay, be quiet. Try and climb up any of the trees." Kaka-sensei states, causing a tick mark to appear on Naruto's head.

All of us concentrate chakra into the soles of our feet.

"Alright! Let's go!" Naruto yells, charging straight for the tree, only to slip and fall back into the ground head first.

'Why does it feel like things aren't going to go well…' I thought as I mentally sweat dropped at Naruto. I continue to make my way up the tree but with each step, my chakra stores increasingly flare.

'Huh…This is not looking good… Hopefully nothing explodes…' I thought absently.

My chakra stores continue to spike, and even with my attempts to keep it under control, it eventually spikes to a point where… well, let's just say the tree has a small …

*crack* *boom*

… ok … not so small… crater…

"Ehh Riku? What happened?" Naruto asks as he swipes at the dust in an attempt to clear his vision.

*cough*cough* Smoke clears away from the tree, revealing a large crater in the tree trunk. The tree appeared unstable, tottering when a small wind blows against it.

"Umm… nothing really…" I state while rubbing that back of my head.

"Oh… haven't seen that one before…" Kaka-sensei states with a gleeful smile. "Looks like this will be entertaining."

*tick mark* 'For you… and everyone else that's watching this…who would have thought I inherited oto-san's lightning affinity. Well it can't get any worse.'

"And you blew up the tree because?" Sasuke asks with a quirked eyebrow.

"Ahh… that. Well, I'm in the reset phase so I have to learn chakra control back at square one…except this time, it seems that I have a lightning component in my chakra that I never trained with before… so things might suddenly explode…but don't worry, it won't kill anyone… I hope.." I mutter the last part.

"Nani?! How can you be so calm!" Naruto asks as his eyes widen in panic.

Before I can answer, Sakura calls down to us.

"Hey this is easier than I thought!"

We all look up to see Sakura smiling down at us from her perch near the top of the tree.

"Oh? It looks like the one who is best at chakra control is Sakura, the only girl." Kaka-sensei states.

'Did he just call me a guy…? Ehh I did dress up as one so I guess I have no complaints.'

"Wow, Sakura-chan! That's something I expected from the girl I have high hopes for!" Naruto yells.

'Ok… that stung a little, but I deserved that and more... considering everything I've put him through.' I thought as I glance down. 'What did I expect? For things to be normal after that little episode... I must be delusional.' I clench my hands.

"Damn it." Sasuke and I mutter in sync. We glance at each other in surprise before looking away in opposite directions.

I look up at Sakura and she seems to be a bit depressed that Sasuke didn't pay any attention to her.

"Your knowledge of chakra is splendid, but your control and stamina are good as well. Maybe Sakura, and not someone else, is the closest one to becoming Hokage right now." Kaka-sensei states with a grin. "And it seems that the Uchiha clan isn't as great as I thought."

"Shut up sensei!" Sakura yells.

'You're just trying to rile them up. It's not going to work on me though.'

"As for someone who has done this exercise before *tick mark* I would expect more from her. But it seems that laziness has taken away her experience."

'Don't get angry…don't get angry…' I repeated in my head as I tighten my fist.

"To think that the last member of the Amarante clan would be unable to control her element. Even five-year olds are known to gain control of it."

*tick mark*

'…Screw composure…'

I abruptly stand, earning curious glances as I walk to my abused tree. Ignoring the curious looks, I lean against the tree as I send a stream of lightning toward the weakened portion of the trunk before the tell-tale sound of snapping wood makes its way to my ears.

*crack*crackle*crack*crack*

Kaka-sensei's eye slightly widens before the tree makes impact.

*boom*

A cloud of dust covers the area.

"Sensei!" Sakura cries out in panic.

"Oh?" I glance blankly at the fallen tree. "Huh… guess they don't make trees like they used to." I feign innocence as I shrug.

"Liar! You did that on purpose! He's already hurt baka!" Sakura scolds as she points at me. "What are we supposed to do if you killed him!"

"Not like he'll let a tree kill him…" I mumble to myself as I glance away.

As the cloud of dust clears, Kaka-sensei's tense form can be seen staring at the fallen tree inches away from his perch.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto exclaims in surprise before he glances down at the tree. "It…missed?"

"Looks like it." Sasuke adds as he narrows his eyes as the fallen tree, noticing the small sparks of lighting creeping along the broken side of the trunk.

"You're alright!" Sakura exclaims in relief as she places a hand to her chest. "Riku, you went too far! What gives you the right to throw a temper tantrum because he insulted you?"

"Gomen ne sensei. They just don't make trees as sturdy as they used to." I call out with a shrug, completely ignoring Sakura. An indigent look enters her face, but she merely huffs and turns away, opting rather to stare at Sasuke.

*sweat drop* Kaka-sensei just glances blankly at me as he gazes down at the fallen tree below.

"Yes… they don't." He answers dryly.

"Now I remember why everyone avoided making you upset…" Naruto swallows the lump of saliva stuck in his throat as he stares at the fallen tree with a nervous expression.

"Hm? You think so?" I ask as I look blankly at the tree. "Ahh well, it's not like I need people who are afraid of me…" I whisper, but it seems to catch Naruto's ears, for his expression slightly drops.

"Enough of that…" I wave off. "Let's see who makes it to the top first out of us three ne?" I ask as I catch Naruto and Sasuke's gazes. They both smirk in response.

"All right, I'm going to catch up to Sasuke first!" Naruto states as he grips the kunai tightly in his hand.

"Ahh… what about me Naruto? I never knew you thought of Sasuke that way." I state with a pout. "And here I thought you hated him…guess it was a ploy to hide your real feelings for him." I finish with a side glance.

"Ehh?" Blood rushes to his face before he starts making x's with his arms, "N-no that's-"

Before Naruto can finish, I dart past him to continue to tree climbing exercise.

"Dobe." Sasuke mutters in amusement before racing after me.

"Hey! That's no fair!" Naruto states while running after me.

"Life's not fair baka, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun." I state as I run up the tree, hearing Naruto's loud protests in the background.

* * *

><p>~Time skip: midnight ~<p>

Before we went to bed, Kaka-sensei told us Sakura was going to accompany Tazuna to the bridge tomorrow, since she was able to master the tree climbing exercise, whereas Sasuke, Naruto, and I still had a ways to go before we could even climb half the distance Sakura could. Kaka-sensei also decided to take a break the next day, or well today, so he could recover from the battle with Zabuza. It seems his injuries would take longer to recover from than he first anticipated. As of right now, I was simply resting atop my bed. Sleep didn't seem to welcome me tonight; too many questions were swimming in my head, but I guess I was just merely anxious. The anniversary was coming up, but even so, I haven't been able to take a single step into the old compound since the massacre … every year I merely placed the flowers at the edge of the compound at a makeshift grave. I know it wasn't the same as actually going to the compound's memorial to pay my respects… but I just couldn't go back there. Call me a coward if you want, but I just can't go back to that place… it's a memory that should have just burned away with everything else.

I glance across the room to see Sakura's sleeping form facing the opposite wall. At first I was hesitant to room with her, seeing her obvious dislike towards me, but she merely left me alone. I can't tell if it was because she was still angry at me, if she just had nothing to say, or if she just saw me as nothing but a monster after that incident. I know I could cross out the last option since no one from my team acted like they were afraid of me when I woke up. Besides, they didn't see me lose control, since Naruto stopped me… They were still safe. I clench my fists at the thought of what could have happened.

'I don't want a repeat of when I lost control… even if I end up saving them with that power… I'll only be seen as a monster… I'll become the evil that needs to be destroyed but I don't think I mind anyway...' I thought as I clench the sheets tighter around me. 'But Naruto was different. He saved me and accepted me. That's why I will do anything to protect him... even if he doesn't fully accept me anymore.' I slowly release the sheets before sitting up in my bed to glance out at the moon. It was nearly full but the clouds were obscuring its light – slowly shrouding it before it completely fades out, bathing me in complete darkness.

"I don't need anyone else…I already have the acceptance I want. He is my only reason to keep living." I mutter to myself, but for some reason those words didn't comfort me like they used to. What changed? The images of my training sessions and the fight against Zabuza flash through my head.

"_Come on gaki, you can do better than that! You're always fighting so why not keep fighting?" _

"_You still have a ways to go before you beat the master, but those eyes of yours…your drive interests me." _

"_You've changed… You're not the same child we found that night." _

"_I promise I will not let you get killed."_

_"You have to get through us before you get to him you eyebrow-less freak!"_

"_Riku-kun!"_

_"Heh. Don't think we'll let you have all the fun Riku. Leave this to us. You've done enough."_

Confusion enters my face as I feel … warm from those words. I don't know why I felt that way. Even Sakura was worried about me.

'Why do I feel this way? I only ever needed Naruto… everyone else were just lumps of meat with names… it slowly changed though…why did that change? Naruto, Psycho-sensei…Ibiki…Ojii-san…Kaka-sensei and now…Sasuke…Sakura… Maybe I want to protect them all? It makes no sense… but maybe the desire to protect others doesn't have to make sense.'

"You should get some sleep."

The voice breaks me from my thoughts, causing me to glance at Sakura's open eyes.

"You've been staring out the window for a while now. It's seriously creeping me out." She states while waving her hand, but her expression falls when she glances at my face. "Hey, is everything…."

I cut her off.

"You'll get bags under your eyes if you stay up you know." I interrupt. "I don't think Sasuke would be interested in you if you wear such a disgusting expression." I add with a small smirk.

Anger crosses her face. "You jerk! I'm trying to be nice to you! And to think I thought you were an alright person. Stay up for all I care." She finishes with a huff before flinging the covers over herself.

A small smile creeps on my face. "Arigato Sakura." I close my eyes and go to sleep.

"…Jerk." Sakura mutters to herself, not noticing the small smile creeping along her face.

* * *

><p>~ Time skip: next day~<p>

Sakura left the house early in the morning to accompany Tazuna to the bridge. Before Naruto and Sasuke woke up, I left the house to head to the forest. Considering the _small _craters that managed to split the trees yesterday, I thought it would be best if I trained away from the boys. After all, they would probably be at each other's throats with their male hormones. That and I knew Naruto wasn't fully comfortable around me, even though he was trying his best to hide it.

'They have their rivalry to push them... as for me... where do I fit? I don't think I really do anymore...'

With that thought, I continue to walk through the forest until I came upon a large lake. The area itself was peaceful. It just made everything seem like a dream, a place where there was no conflict, no hate… But believing in something like that was my past. Something like that could not exist in the world right now, but I can't help but hope for it…

"Well, better get this training started." I said to myself as I cracked my back before facing a tree.

Closing my eyes, I gather chakra to the soles of my feet before running up the tree. As my chakra stores continue to spike, my control slowly drops off with every step. It wasn't long before small sparks of lightning crackle against my skin.

'I have to keep going…'

I soon lose control of the chakra, causing the tree to crack under me.

*crack* *boom*

The explosion sends me careening to the ground. I don't react. My back smacks the ground before I slide a feet away from the tree. Panting slightly, I glance up at the tree to see a medium sized crater.

'I'm slowly starting to control it…I think? The crater isn't as big as it was yesterday.' I thought before the tree crashes to the ground.

After countless more attempts, my back and arms are littered with bruises cuts from the splintering wood. But, I just keep staggering back up and choosing another tree to climb. The cycle repeats itself with the tree climbing, the explosion, the falling, and the next attempt. As time passes, the craters slowly shrink to only small dents in the trees, but I'm still unable to make it all the way up the tree.

**{~}**

-Several hours later-

**(Third person perspective)**

The explosions are non-existent at this point. Only small dents are seen on the trees Riku had climbed. Said girl sits on the ground panting. Healing cuts pepper her arms and legs. She gazes up with unfocused eyes before purple sparks of lightning surround her, choking her, constricting her. She keels over to the side, grasping the ground in pain.

"I... hate this... I just want this... to stop but… I have to get stronger to protect…ugh.." The pain doubles, leaving her gasping for air. Steeling herself, she rights herself up before staggering over to the water. The lightning releases it hold on her body before she falls in. As she falls deeper and deeper into the depths of the water, a pale blue glow surrounds her body, healing away the already fading wounds. Before long, her eyes snap open and she returns to the surface to make her way to land.

"Got to love water…" She breathes out before lying down and looking at the sky. A slightly pained expression enters her face as she continues to look up at the stars.

"The anniversary is coming up… I guess I'll be late…" She mutters while closing her eyes.

It isn't long before she forces herself back up to continue with her training. Little did she know that a silver haired jounin had been watching her the entire time.

"That element of hers... it's more volatile than it should be." He sighs out. "I shouldn't be surprised... you always have to keep fighting... don't you?"

**{~}**

**(First person perspective)**

'It's getting late… if I don't go back soon, everyone will start asking questions…'

*sigh*

I bend the water off my clothes and make my way back to Tazuna's house.

* * *

><p>~At Tazuna's House~<p>

"This is really fun! It's been a while since I ate with this many people!" Tazuna states, rubbing the back of his head as he gazes down at us seated around the table. Naruto and Sasuke sit across from one another whereas I sit between Sasuke and Inari. Sakura flanks Sasuke's other side and Kakashi sits at the other end of the table. I glance up from my bowl to see Sasuke and Naruto shoveling down enough food fit to feed three grown men. I shake my head at the two and keep eating.

"Seconds please!" They yell in sync. I swear I can see sparks flying between them and not the good kind.

'Ahh… just like at the academy. I'm surprised they haven't thrown u-'

*barfing noises*

'Nevermind… I spoke too soon.' I thought with a slight grimace before popping another piece of meat into my mouth. It's not like I haven't seen men barfing before. No need to waste perfectly good food just because those two can't hold theirs down.

"If you're going to barf then don't eat!" Sakura yells as she slams her hands onto the table. She turns to me. "How can you still eat after that?"

I offer her a shrug. "I'm not the one that barfed. Their malfunctioning stomachs aren't connected to mine." I pop some more rice into my mouth before turning my gaze to the boys. "If you two aren't going to eat, then don't waste food."

"No, I'll eat." Sasuke says while rubbing his mouth.

"I have to eat even if I have to force myself…I have to become strong quickly." Naruto continues, staring defiantly back at Sasuke.

"Barfing isn't the same as eating… I swear, you two remind me of those anorexic girls who end up as walking skeletons." I state with a sigh.

Naruto stares at me with wide eyes whereas Sasuke sends me an unamused glance.

"Did I say something wrong?" I ask with a small smile. No one answers. "I'll take that as a no." I finish before popping more food into my mouth.

As dinner continues, I can't help but notice Sasuke glancing at me from time to time.

'Maybe he remembers me?' I thought blankly as I pause the chopsticks in my mouth. 'But why is he staring at the ring... he doesn't recognize it, does he?'

Feeling anger directed my way, I shift my gaze up to see Sakura glaring holes into my head. 'Guess I can't ask him now... don't want to give Sakura another reason to kill me in my sleep.'

After dinner, Tsunami washes the dishes, while the rest of us enjoy tea. Sakura gets up from her seat and examines a torn picture hanging off the wall. "Um, why are you hanging a torn picture? Inari-kun was watching this during dinner the entire time. This torn part looks like someone intentionally tore away the person who was there."

Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari freeze for a moment before relaxing.

"It's my husband." Tsunami replies as she continues washing the dishes, but the usual light in her eyes had vanished.

"He was the man known as the hero of this town." Tazuna continues.

Inari leaves his seat and begins to walk away.

"Inari, where are you going?" Tsunami asks before going after him. "Father, I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari. Inari!"

"What's wrong with Inari-kun?" Sakura asks, surprised by the drastic shift in behavior.

"Ahh...I'm guessing it has to do with the man in the picture." I comment as I gaze at the torn picture. 'A picture perfect family…what happened to them?'

"It seems there's a story behind this." Kaka-sensei states.

"Inari had a father that wasn't related to him. They were very close, like father and son." Tazuna states before pausing.

I look to Naruto and see him glance at the picture.

'Naruto must be thinking about Iruka-sensei…' I smile at him sadly before looking back at Tazuna.

"Inari used to laugh a lot back then. But-" Tears start falling from Tazuna's eyes as his hands clench into fists. "But…Inari changed after the incident that happened to his father. The word 'courage' was forever taken away from the people on this island and Inari. After that day, and that incident…"

"That incident? What happened to Inari?" Kaka-sensei asks.

"To explain the incident, I will need to talk about the man who was known as a hero on this island."

"A hero?" Naruto questions, attention fully on the conversation now.

"It was about three years ago when the man and Inari met each other. His name was Kaiza. He was a fisherman who came to this island seeking his dream. Ever since that incident, Inari started becoming attached to Kaiza, since he lost his father before he could remember anything. He followed him around all the time and they became just like a father and son. It didn't take long for Kaiza to become part of our family. Kaiza was also a man we needed in this town."

Tazuna continues to talk about Kaiza and his impact on Inari. Naruto and I can't help but smile. However, he eventually get to the part on how Gatoh's men mercilessly executed him in front of Inari.

I stare down blankly at my cup. 'So that explains it… but he can't live in the past… he needs to grow stronger. As he is right now, he's just like how Naruto and I were before we decided to fight back…' I tighten my grip on the cup.

*crash*

Snapping out of my thoughts, I glance to the source to see Naruto splayed on the ground.

"I'm going to prove it to him…" Naruto states while he staggers to a standing position. I smile at his words before walking over to him.

"Ahh…don't think you'll be the only one, Naru." He matches my gaze and offers me his trade-mark grin.

"Heh, I'll be the first to prove it."

"Ahh, we'll see, won't we?"

"Wait a minute, what are you two going on about? Prove what?" Sakura asks.

"That there are heroes in this world." We answer in sync. Shaking my head at Sakura's look of disbelief, I turn my attention back to Naruto to see his limbs trembling. 'Chakra exhaustion... but more so muscle fatigue from chakra overexposure.'

"Naruto." He turns to me with a wary look, causing my heart to clench. I swallow down the uneasiness. "Let me help."

Before he answers, I bend the water from my gourd onto my hand. The usual blue glow appears and I busy myself with healing the torn muscle fibers in his legs. Eventually the shaking stops, but a bit of soreness remained.

He looks down at his legs in amazement. "Riku, I never knew you could do that!" He states with a smile.

I pull away, making sure to put some distance between us. "You never asked. There should still be some soreness in your legs, but you can still train. Don't overdo it, or you're really going to die." I warn before the heaviness settles further in my chest. I had to get out. Turning on my heel, I make my way out the door.

"Thanks again Riku!" Naruto calls out. I turn slightly to see him offering me a smile, but it lacks its usual warmth. His false smile, his defense mechanism. My chest clenches at the revelation, but I shrug it off, offering him one in return as well.

"Anytime. I'm going to get some fresh air. If anyone needs me, well… just don't need me."

With that, I leave the room and head out to the forest without another word.

'I deserve every bit of this... even if you don't say anything... I can tell things are no longer the same. After everything, I still feel insecure. I still feel as though we know nothing about each other. But even so, we are still friends because we can trust each other regardless of this doubt.'

I allow my feet to take me…wherever. It felt nice just to walk around without a destination in mind. The night was nice and clear. The moon and stars were shining brightly.

Before I knew it, my legs had carried me to the lake. I looked down at the lake and saw the image of my parents…the image I recently remembered…

"Oka-san… Oto-san…" I close my eyes as I think about the story once again. "That story… did her guardian ever really find her? How did he know that she was still out there when her appearance keeps changing?" I pause. "… Heh… regardless of everything, she still loved her village before she lost herself… I remember you two telling me that darkness can never fully take over with the presence of light. If that's true, then will I find someone who will keep me grounded, or will I lose myself like the story?"

I wait for some sign, some answer but receive none.

"What am I doing… of course I won't get an answer…" I shake my head sadly as I place a hand on my head," but I can't help but wonder if I will find that one person who will be there for me…"

I continue gazing at the water before getting up to practice my bending. My water bending would always grow stronger at night, while my mother's and father's bending would always be stronger during the day. I create two shadow clones; one would spar with me while the other would practice the tree climbing exercise. I already know this would drain my chakra faster, but I didn't have time to waste.

* * *

><p><strong>(Third person perspective)<strong>

Lightning can be seen across the sky. What many would find as odd was the appearance of lightning in a cloudless sky. How could there be lightning you ask? The answer could be seen down at the lake where two girls are facing off.

(With Riku and the clone)

As Riku catches her breath, the clone sends streaks of lightning at her, causing her to either dive into the water or create ice to block most of the blow. The cycle continues until the clone sends ice spikes from underwater, effectively pinning Riku to one of the trees. However, sparks of lightning envelope her body, effectively melting the ice. The clone sends another stream of lighting at Riku. She dodges, but is surprised to find senbon attached to her left arm. Electricity spreads from the needles to her arm, rendering it useless. Regardless of the predicament, Riku merely smirks before she continues with the spar.

(With the tree climbing clone)

The clone could be seen panting on the ground. She looks back at the tree and continues with the tree climbing exercise. Her eyes shine with determination, but eventually her control slips, causing her to fall back to the ground.

"Back at square one huh?" She says to herself before continuing with the exercise.

**{~}**

Though training was something Riku personally enjoyed, the current session seemed excessive to say the least. Riku has experimented with shadow clones before and knows the risks of using them. It seemed as if she was pushing herself harder than usual and at the rate she's going, she would pass out soon.

Too absorbed in her training, she fails to notice two blood red eyes watching her across the lake. The man, dressed in a dark cloak covered in red clouds, gazes at the raven perched on his shoulder before returning his gaze at the girl.

"You still worry about her even after all this time..." He murmurs, earning himself a caw from his companion. His frown deepens the longer he watches. "No signs of it yet..."

The raven sends out another caw.

"I know. How foolish…She's still as reckless as before… " He sighs out before his expression drops slightly. "But she's more broken than ever…"

Releasing a sigh, he takes his leave before Riku notices he was even there.

* * *

><p>~The next day~<p>

**(First person perspective) **

I crack open an eye at the chirping only to regret it as the sun momentarily blinds me. Draping an arm over my eyes, I let out a pained groan as my eyes adjust to the light.

'It's already morning...?' I blink away the sleep from my eyes before propping myself against a nearby tree. 'Guess I fell asleep... I wonder if anyone noticed...? Probably not.' I gaze down at my arms to see senbon jutting out in random directions before my eyes trail further down to my legs, stopping on the newly healed cuts.

"Ahh... guess I may have overdone it..." I mutter to myself as I carefully remove the senbon, slightly grimacing as the fairly deep ones leave lingering jolts of pain. Once the last one clatters to the ground, I let out a sigh before gazing up at the branches. Everything aches, and to put it simply... I feel like crap. Gathering the nearby water onto my hand, I busy myself with healing the holes peppering my skin. I didn't want a passerby to mistake me as a suicidal patient, but I guess being attacked by another ninja would be more plausible - even if I personally would go with the former if I myself see the situation.

Allowing the water to splash onto the ground, I dig out some soldier pills before popping some in my mouth, feeling some of my chakra return to me. After several crunches, I gaze blandly at the pills before shoving them back into my pouch, not wanting to recall some sick memory involving more... questionable ones.

'I still can't let that go huh...' I lean my head back to gaze at the branches once again, noticing several colorful birds huddled in a corner whereas a lone one rests on an adjacent branch. The lone one continues to observe the others but before it can join them, they fly off. I frown when the lone bird hops onto the once occupied branch before scratching its beak against the wood and letting out a cry. I shake my head at the sight and gaze down at my lap with a wry smile. 'Looks like even out here, I'm still reminded of that... I'm not the same as them...' Scenes flash through my eyes before I let out a hollow chuckle. 'Outwardly, we're all the same... we're all genin... we all suffered something in our past... that's the same, but they're not drenched in blood...' I shake my head, knowing I may be blowing things out of proportion, but it doesn't change the fact that a rift exists between the others and me, especially now that my little disguise has been torn to shreds, though willingly and only for this mission... just this mission. But is that what I really want? Did I really want to go back to that little persona?

'Even if I don't want to admit it, that persona is no longer a persona... we're the same person.' I smirk. 'I'm just more open with my emotions...'

So going back isn't the issue... the issue is where do I go from here? Naruto now knows the truth... or part of the truth... I should be happy, but there's still a heaviness settling deep in my chest. Our relationship is strained at best; it just looks normal, but that's far from the truth. What do I even want; what do I wish to happen? I lower my gaze. Asking for more... that would be too selfish. I was never meant to be more than a shadow; no matter how close I am to them, we can never exist in the same realm. I'm just a protector... I'm just a... shadow... My opinion, my feelings shouldn't, no, can't matter. It's not as though things will change if I express my thoughts. I can't change... I just can't... If I change, if I lose sight of what I am... then what will happen to them... Naruto... I just can't.

Still, I wonder... will I, can I somehow find someone to see me as I truly am? Not as a monster, not as a shield, not as a shadow, but a life that deserves to truly live. I clench my teeth at the thought before burying my head in my knees as I wrap my arms tightly around myself.

'How irrational... that can't happen... it can't happen... I'm a shadow.. just a shadow... don't change... you can't change...' I bury my previous thoughts deeper into the recesses of my mind, willing them to disappear. This is why I had that persona... he could block these thoughts. He could keep me sane... he hid me away...

"... Someone... to protect... accept me... that's what I want... but it's a selfish wish..." I mutter out, fighting the thoughts from resurfacing and failing.

*snap*

I face the sound, gripping a kunai tightly in my hand. My stance relaxes slightly when I see a boy dressed in a pink robe holding a basket.

"Gomen… I didn't mean to startle you." He states calmly before a small frown enters his face," A girl shouldn't be sleeping in the forest by herself."

I lower the kunai and put it away before offering the boy a slight smile. "It's alright. And I fell asleep here by accident." I rub the back of my head sheepishly, allowing the carefree mask to slip back on. "What brings you out here?"

"Picking herbs." He answers simply as he lifts up his basket before motioning if he could take a seat. I nod."I just finished and I felt like going to this lake. Why are you out here?" He asks as a gentle smile enters his face.

"I was training." I answer, catching the boy off guard. His gaze lowers to the headband around my neck.

"Are you a ninja or something? That forehead protector…" He trails off as his eyes rest on the engraving.

"Ahh...yes, I suppose I am." I say with a sad smile. He seems to notice and his smile fades a bit.

"Why were you training?"

"To get stronger. I want to be able to protect those who are precious to me… Even if I'm not entirely sure who they are…" I unconsciously grab the ring around my neck. The action doesn't go unnoticed by the boy who gazes at the ring curiously.

"That ring… did someone important give that to you?"

I look down at the ring with a sad smile.

"I'm not entirely sure. I don't remember a lot from my childhood ever since the massacre. But it feels like it's something really important to me. I want to remember but I can't…"

His eyes widen when the word 'massacre' leaves my lips as if he somehow understood the emotions that come from such an experience. He composes himself before he places a hand on my shoulder.

"If the person who gave you that ring is precious to you, then you will remember." His eyes gain a far off look as he continues, "To lose so many in an instant, I cannot claim to know your pain exactly, but I know the pain passes when you find a purpose to live. It seems you have found a purpose on your own even though you're confused about it yourself."

I simply smile.

"Arigato. You're a really nice boy."

His eyes widen in surprise, causing me to blink in confusion. 'Wait... did I mess up? Crap...'

"Gomen ne. I just assumed you were a boy…I'm sorry if I offended you…It's just-" I trail off once I hear his chuckles.

"It's alright. Many mistaken me for a girl, so I was surprised you knew I was a boy." He replies as his chuckles die out and a gentle smile enters his face. I let out a sigh.

"I thought I was wrong for a minute there..." I trail off before gazing at his face. "It's not that hard to tell, but this is coming from a girl who used to cross dress as a boy." I add in mirth," But…you're really beautiful and pure. You seem like the type to bring happiness to those around you."

"I don't think many would call a boy beautiful."

I shrug. "I call it how I see it. And I'm not talking about just your physical appearance... you strike me as... a kind person."

"Hmm... I see." He mutters before gazing down at the lake. "I heard what you said before you noticed me. What did you mean by that? Surely you have those who care about you?"

"Ahh..." I lean back on my arms. "I have teammates and a sensei that care about me. But they don't know me at all... they know my disguise..." At his confused glance, I explain, "I used to dress up as a boy... it was how I coped with the world. It was what kept me sane. It wasn't until a couple days ago that they learned I was a girl. I strained some relationships because of that, but it's expected. How can you expect things to be normal when you learn the person you trusted the most in the world has been lying this whole time? It hurts..." I clench my hands. "Still, I ... I want to protect those close to me, but I don't feel like I exist if that makes sense... I feel like I'm not meant to be here... that I'm not needed, just a character added to make things more interesting, but not important to the main plot. Funny huh?" I let out a dry hollow laugh. "I don't like it... but it makes sense even if it scares me. I... I don't want to be alone again."

My eyes burn with unshed tears, but what was the point? I was always Naruto's support; I wasn't allowed to be weak and cry. Crying won't change anything.

"Gomen ne... you probably don't want to hear a weird girl rambling on about her troubles ne?" I let out a chuckle before gazing unseeingly at the sky.

"Your eyes are broken." He states.

That surprised me. 'Where have I heard that before?'

I blink before facing him once again. "What do you mean?"

His smile softens. "You have the same eyes as me before I met my precious person. You seem lost and hurt, but I know you will find your happiness." He leans forward a bit, bringing his face closer to mine. "It takes time, but you will meet your precious person. When you do, you will do whatever you can to please that person because if that person is happy, then you are too."

I can't help but believe his words. They seemed very familiar yet different at the same time. It was hard to explain but I felt nostalgic talking to him as if I had met him before and had a similar conversation, but that was impossible right?

"Arigato..." I send him a soft smile. "To think you're saying this to someone you just met in the forest. It's funny how life works out that way..." I trail off as water encases my hand. "I want to give you something."

The water pools in my palm as tendrils of chakra spread through the slowly solidifying water, forming it into a small ice lotus.

"It's not much but consider it a thank you for listening to me when you didn't have to." I explain as I hold out the flower to him. A conflicted look enters his face, but he quickly composes himself and takes the flower with great care.

"Arigato." He sends me a warm smile before standing. "I need to go, but let us meet again sometime." He adds before picking up his basket and making his way back to the forest.

"I know we will." I smile at his retreating form, knowing he wouldn't be able to see it. Even so, he stills at my words as if he wanted to say something before disappearing into the forest.

"I never got his name..." I muse before fiddling with the discarded senbon. Whoever that boy was, he had somehow calmed my thoughts. I smile softly as I think back to his kind smile before narrowing my eyes at the familiar chakra signatures hiding in the nearby trees. How could I have missed them? How long were they even there? My frown deepens, knowing they probably heard some if not all of the conversation.

'Just what I need...' I let out a sigh, waiting for the two to come out on their own rather than call them out. Several minutes tick by and Naruto and Sasuke have yet to move from their cover. 'If they're not going to man up, then I suppose I better do it.' Getting up from the ground, I brush away the stray grass strands before heading over to the boys.

"What took you so long?" Sasuke asks. "You know you skipped breakfast right?"

I roll my eyes. "...You didn't need to wait. But how considerate of you to make sure I don't starve to death." I send him a sly look. "Now, do you want to tell me the real reason you're here?"

"I just went to get the dobe for breakfast and saw you talking to someone."

"Ahh... I see. And you felt the need to watch?"

"Hn. It's odd you'd trust a stranger. I thought you actually had some common sense."

I let out a chuckle. "I think we've established that I'm not entirely sane. And don't worry you two. That moment of weakness won't be seen by either of you next time."

I make my way past the boys but a hand encircles my wrist.

"Riku..." Naruto trails off, but I don't respond. "The teme and I... we heard everything you said..."

The heaviness reappears in my chest. "And what of it?"

"I don't really know you anymore..." He trails off, "But I want to know you. Not... not that guy you pretended to be. I did promise that I would protect you right? And it looks like I really did learn your name in the end." He finishes happily. "Didn't expect to find you again this way, but I'm glad you're alive. After all, you're the first person to accept me and I won't let you be alone again. Believe it."

I smile at the honesty in his words before turning around to offer him a small smile. Knocking my knuckles against his forehead protector, I mutter. "Another promise then? We seem to have some pretty hefty ones already, but I think we can manage another one." I joke. "But you already know a part of me... that guy who spent those years with you... that's also me. You just have to know me as I am now." I explain, knowing that sentence probably confused him more than before.

"Are you two finished?"

We turn to Sasuke to see him wearing an annoyed look.

"If you two are done, let's train." He directs his gaze to me. "That is, if you've improved enough not to blow yourself up."

I smirk in response. "Ahh... I guess we'll see. Don't blame me if any trees happen to land on you. They don't make sturdy trees these days after all."

He sends me a smirk. "Hn."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Naruto cheers before pulling me behind him.

**{~}**

~Deeper in the forest~

"Naruto!" Sakura yells out. "What are Naruto and Riku doing? Sasuke-kun hasn't returned after he said he was going for a walk either." She asks Kaka-sensei.

As if to answer their question, Naruto throws a kunai several feet before them, drawing their attention to the branch he's lying across.

Sakura looks up at Naruto in awe. "No way. Naruto's able to climb all the way up there now? Amazing."

"How do you like that? I can climb this high now." Naruto states as he stands up. The moment is short lived, seeing as he slips. Knowing his tendency for tricks, I simply watch, knowing he had everything under control for a couple more seconds that is.

"AHHH!" Sakura yells while closing her eyes.

'He's not going to die any time soon…so stop worrying...' I thought with a sigh.

Naruto then stands under the tree branch using his chakra.

"Not. You fell for it." He states with a cocky grin.

I shake my head at the scene. "This is going to go bad in 5…4…3…"

"You scared me!" Sakura yells.

"…2…1…"

"NGAHHHH!"

Naruto's chakra runs out and he plummets to the ground. Sasuke and I quickly grab his ankle before attaching ourselves to a nearby branch.

"Baka…this is why you shouldn't be cocky." I warn with a sigh.

"Dobe."

"Sasuke?" Naruto asks before frowning. "Hey, I had everything under control. I didn't need your help."

"Should I just drop you then?" I ask with a tilt of my head.

"Eh? Ano don't do that. The teme would drop me the first chance he gets." Naruto replies sheepishly. I let out a small chuckle before nodding in response.

"Way to go, Sasuke-kun! You're amazing." Sakura cheers from below.

I send Sasuke a sly look. "Well you better get down there. Your fangirl awaits."

He scoffs, but before he can comment, I kick his legs from under him, knocking him off the branch. His eyes widen in surprise before he grabs my wrist, stopping his fall. At the unexpected jerk, I lose my focus and fall off the tree as well, sending the three of us tumbling down.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"You baka!" Sasuke scolds before letting go of Naruto's ankle to grab onto a nearby branch to stop our fall. He grunts as the struggles to hold his, Naruto's and my weight. As Naruto continues to flail, I use chakra to reattach myself to the tree before throwing Naruto onto the branch. Without the added weight, Sasuke rights himself on the branch as I sit down.

I let out a sigh. "Well that could have gone better."

Sasuke sends me a glare but before he can comment, Naruto lets out several rumbling laughs. I blink in confusion. "Naruto?"

He doesn't respond and continues to laugh.

"Hn. You broke the dobe."

I send him a deadpan look before glancing back at Naruto.

"Pfft. You should have seen your face teme!"

He stares at Naruto in disbelief before sending me a questioning glance that said 'what the hell is going on?'

I shrug in response before Naruto sits up and swings an arm across my shoulders. "If this is what you're like, you should have told me sooner. You could have helped me with my pranks." Naruto smiles. "This is great!"

I let out a sigh before sending him a smile of my own. 'If only you knew how involved I really was in your pranks...'

I hear Kaka-sensei sighing at our antics whereas Sakura continues to fume.

"Hey where do you go off doing something like that? Sasuke-kun could have seriously been hurt!" Sakura babbles. "There's no need for you to go in a temper tantrum like some child that hasn't gotten her way. You must have been pretty spoiled huh? Always having things go your way and just when it doesn't you can't help but get angry."

I tense at her words, which doesn't go unnoticed by Naruto. "Oi... Riku..." He tentatively sends his chakra along my skin, attempting to mimic what I would do to calm him down. His attempt is sloppy and unsure at best but it works as I reach out with my own chakra, allowing it to take hold of his and fill me with a calming warmth. I allow a small smile to enter my face before bumping my forehead with his in thanks. Even though this is his first time initiating it, he's able to grasp the concept and make it work.

"Ahh... it seems your chakra control has gotten better..." I murmur, causing a proud smile to enter his face.

"Of course. After all the training I've done, it should have." He lets out a laugh. "Heh, I say this is better than the first attempts. We kept flying apart the first couple times."

I let out a laugh. "Oi, it's because you were too hasty and pooled so much chakra in one go."

He shrugs. "You were too slow."

Shaking my head, I disentangle his arm from mine, breaking the connection before glancing down to see a pissed off Sakura.

"Did you say something?" I ask, earning a frustrated groan.

"You jerk!"

I merely smile in response. 'Disaster adverted...'

* * *

><p>~Time skip: night~<p>

I didn't lose control thanks to Naruto, but even so, Sakura's words struck a chord, reminding me how today was the anniversary of the massacre. I planned to shove that little tidbit into the back of my mind until later, but she unknowingly destroyed that plan. After several minutes into the training, I had bid the others goodbye, finding the need to clear my head as unpleasant memories begin to swim in my head. No one followed me, probably at Naruto's insistence. He knew when I needed space, just like how I knew when he did as well.

I stand on one of the tallest trees in the forest. Spreading my arms out, I take in several deep, calming breaths as I feel the moon's strength pulsing through me. It feels nice to be control of myself again. Dropping my arms to my sides, I glance out in the distance to see two shadowed figures atop the trees - Naruto and Sasuke. A sad smile enters my face before I send them a half-hearted wave, not really expecting any response. Oddly enough, they do wave back. Furrowing my brows, I jump down the branches and make my way over to them. Naruto leans heavily on his knees as he attempts the calm his breathing. He sends me his signature grin, attempting to brush off the fatigue. Shaking my head at him, I drape one of his arms over my shoulder as Sasuke does the same.

"Ahh... You look like you're about to collapse." I point out before shaking my head. "It's fine to ask for help you know?"

"Hn. We all know you need it dobe." Sasuke scoffs, but it only causes Naruto to widen his smile.

"Hehe. Arigato. Riku. Sasuke."

I can't help but smile back as we make our way back to Tazuna's house.

"When we get back, let me heal your injuries alright? You too Sasuke." I reply. Sasuke merely smirks.

"You sure you won't cause an explosion?" He jests.

I send him an amused smile. "No promises there."

Naruto furrows his brows before casting me a hesitant glance. "Ne, Riku."

"Ah?"

"Why did you run off earlier?"

I glance up. "Ah I did? I guess I needed some time to think…"

"Eh? What about?"

Sasuke doesn't say anything, but I can see that he was curious as well.

"Ahh… my parents I suppose… the anniversary is actually today. I was planning on visiting them, but I guess I'll do that when I get back."

Sasuke and Naruto look at me in shock, more so Naruto than Sasuke.

"Riku I didn't know… I thought that-"

Naruto tries to form words but he keeps stopping himself whereas Sasuke sends me a calculating look before looking away. I shake my head, knowing it was a feat within itself to hide the actual date of the massacre from Naruto.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto. We still have to think of Inari and this country. No matter the price, we will protect this town, right guys?" I ask with a smirk, earning looks of agreement.

I shake my head with a rueful smile. 'Besides, it's not like I can change something that's been burned away, now can I?'

Nothing else is said between us, but even so, I felt closer to them, if just a little.

'Even if I don't know my feelings exactly, I know I can't leave things as they are. Who to protect… that doesn't really matter much right now… all that matters is…' I thought as a serious expression enters my face. 'Gatoh will pay for what he has done.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. It might take me longer to update since I have to get started on my AP homework for the summer. This chapter was more concentrated on character development and I hope I didn't make any of the characters too weird or anything. I also wanted everyone to see Riku in a different light. There are things that many people hide from their friends, so I wanted to incorporate that idea in this chapter. I hope it made things interesting. Please review and I'll see you guys as soon as I can. <strong>

**Ja ne~**

**(Edited 7/2/14)**


	6. Chapter 6: Rebuilding What was Lost

-Chapter 6: Rebuilding What was Lost-

**AN: Thank you for all who have been reading this story. Here's the next chapter and I'm sorry that it's pretty long. If you want to make any comments, be sure to review so I can fix anything in the story. Thanks again and enjoy.~**

*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 2)*

* * *

><p><strong>Other notes:<strong>

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante.**

* * *

><p>~Tazuna's house~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

Sasuke and I drag Naruto's worn body through the front door of Tazuna's house, earning looks from everyone in the room.

Tazuna quirks a brow. "What's with you three? You look really dirty and tired," He asks before taking a sip of his tea.

"Ahh…and here I thought you would ask what the cat dragged in…" I mumble to myself.

Naruto lifts up his head before offering a bright smile. "All of us climbed to the top." His smile soon falls as he bows his head down in exhaustion.

"Okay. Naruto, Sasuke, Riku… you three guard Tazuna-san next time as well." Kaka-sensei states with an eye smile, impressed with our rapid improvement.

All of us smile, or in Sasuke's and my case, smirk at the news.

"Yatta!" Naruto lifts his arms off my shoulders to lean back in a celebratory fashion. Unfortunately Sasuke isn't able to balance out the extra weight, sending them both toppling to the ground in a heap.

*crash*

"Dobe." Sasuke glares at Naruto who sends him a sheepish smile.

I gaze at them in amusement. "Ahh… but you have to admit you like that position right?"

Sasuke sends me a glare whereas a look of horror shrouds Naruto's face.

"Don't even joke about that Riku. Why would I like this teme?" He exclaims while pointing at said 'teme.'

"Well… your arm is still around him you know…" I point out, relishing in the awkward silence that soon follows.

"…" *distances themselves*

My smirk widens. "Ahh… the sweet silence that comes after acceptance. I'll just keep this moment for future reference." I state with a chuckle as I walk over to Sasuke.

Naruto's brows furrow in thought before a mischievous gleam enters his eyes. Without warning, Naruto lunges toward me, but I merely take a step to the left, letting Naruto tackle Sasuke instead.

*crash*

"Wow… I know you two like each other, but I didn't think it would progress this far…" I place a hand on my face. "They just grow up too fast..."

Naruto's face burns an unhealthy shade of red once he realizes he's straddling Sasuke's hips. Sasuke's face morphs into a mixture of disgust and possibly embarrassment, but his anger soon dominates. Scowling, he quickly shoves Naruto off of him as Naruto quickly backs away as a look of horror dominates his face. Laughter envelopes the room as everyone, with the exception of the two boys and a fuming Sakura, smiles at the scene.

'Yup. Things are definitely going to be more entertaining…' I thought to myself as I watch the two boys throw insults at each other.

**{~}**

-After Dinner-

Tazuna lets out a relieved sigh. "The bridge is almost complete. It's all thanks to you."

I try to listen to the conversation, but my eyelids continue to droop downward as my head slumps forward onto the table. Seeing as I'm losing the fight against sleep, I settle for closing my eyes for a couple of minutes, but I know it's a lost cause; it won't be long before I pass out on the table. Healing Naruto and Sasuke took more out of me than I expected. Then again, I haven't had any reason to use the medical aspect of my bending until now and the lack of practice only makes it more difficult. I let out a sigh as the conversation around me fades in and out until they become useless garbles.

'I better... get more practice in... healing...' The voices fade further and further away. 'Right after... a nap...'

*bang*

I blearily crack open my eyes but don't lift my head from the table. 'Well... that was short lived...' I let of a sigh.

"Why are you two trying so hard that you end up like that? You guys can't beat Gatoh's men even if you train! No matter how hard you try and say those good-looking words…weak people are going to lose against strong people!"

I ignore the poorly laid insult. I know Inari's trying to prevent us from meeting the same fate as his father, but for some reason his words aggravated me. 'Saying we have no chance... are you saying it's fine to leave things as they are? To just accept this situation as natural, to just keep living in fear with no hope for escape? To just... be nothing but a pawn.' I thought before jumbled phrases flash through my mind.

_"It's in your nature to be subservient. Pawns must obey their masters. That is a fact of life."_

_Pain._

_"Why do you refuse to accept your fate? The more you resist, the more pain you will endure."_

'And what of it... pain... suffering... does it really matter?' I clench the edges of my seat, trying to draw myself away from the dreaded memories. 'Stop it... you're no longer with that man... you're no longer in that prison.'

"Shut up. I'm different from you." Naruto comments calmly.

"Shut up! It pisses me off when I watch you two! You don't know anything about this country, and you're so nosy! I'm different from both of you, people who don't know any real pain and just laugh all the time!"

I tighten my grip, feeling the wood cracking slightly under the strain.

'Don't make me laugh…just be quiet… You have no idea what I've… what we've been through.'

*crack* *crack*

Ice forms along the edges of the chair as more cracks mar its surface.

'All of us have suffered in one way or another… what right do you have to tell us… me that my suffering never existed… to say that my time in that hell hole never existed...'

More ice creeps over the wood, over my hands - covering more and more - as I reign in my emotions. I slow my breathing, relax my shoulders, all in an effort to calm down. This isn't the time to lose myself to my emotions, but the pang of annoyance still remains. After all, he neglected the reason why his father sacrificed so much for his home... why he was so willing to die... An unexplained anger bubbles in my chest, crumbling away the forming restraints holding down my emotions.

I hear Naruto let out a strained breath. "Is that why you're pretending to be the main character of a tragedy and just crying?"

Inari lets out a gasp. My restraints fail.

"Tch. Crying to escape the pain and suffering… what will it do for you? Bring back the ones that have died for you? I don't think so…" I add mockingly.

*crack* *crack*

The ice devours more and more.

"…To forget what that person has taught you… to forget what that person has lived for…" I lift my head so my glare meets his gaze. "What kind of _scum_ are you?"

"An idiot like you can just keep crying. You cry baby!" Naruto adds as he slams his hand on the table, causing Inari to flinch away from our gazes.

"Naruto! Riku! That's too much!" Sakura scolds as she stands. "He's only a child!"

"That old school excuse." I call out as I glance to the side before sending my gaze towards Sakura. "So what, just because he's a child, you give him the right to act as a sniveling brat? A spoiled brat who only knows how to cry, to wallow in his own pity?" I add with a smirk. "If he's a child... then what are we? Aren't we the same?"

"Riku, that's enough." Kaka-sensei warns.

I ignore him. "Give me a break. This is nothing. He needs to wake up."

*crack*

Naruto looks down at my hands; his eyes widen when he notices the creeping ice.

"Riku…" A hand rests on my shoulder before trailing down to my back, rubbing small soothing circles as a hesitant hum of chakra reaches out for mine.

I glance up at Naruto's face, noticing the pain and understanding flashing in his eyes.

'You still only show this side to me... despite everything... I'm the only person you can show this side to...' I thought as his chakra takes hold of mine in a comforting embrace.

"Stop." He utters so softly, forcing me to crane my ears to even hear the word. In response, my shoulders sag before I let out a sigh.

"I know…" I mutter out as I place a hand on his arm, causing him to lift his hand, breaking away the connection between our chakra. "I know…" I whisper again as the ice melts from the chair and my hands. I lightly grip his hand in mine, gently squeezing it to reassure him. A pained smile enters his face before it quickly disappears as he glances back at everyone else. Not looking back at the others, I get out of my seat and head towards the door, ignoring the questions sent my way from the others. Naruto follows shortly after me, but decides to take a path deeper into the forest.

'Looks like both of us need time to ourselves…' I slowly walk towards the lake, hoping it would be the solace I desperately need.

* * *

><p><strong>~At the lake~<strong>

I lean against the trunk of one of the tallest trees, dangling one of my legs over the branch with the other bent to my chest. I know my words to Inari were harsh - fueled by the lingering resentment of my own mistakes - but I don't regret it. It's been years since everyone in my clan was slaughtered, all because a certain man wanted me. To me, it made no sense. Everything I had now... it was only through effort, not talent. I didn't have anything special; I wasn't special. Sure, I had the Bikoume, but was it really that precious? Did it really set me in a different level from everyone else in my clan so much so that **he **would slaughter everyone just to get to me?

'There must have been something… even if I was one of the younger bending masters, why not someone else? Why not the duel benders who could control more than one element? It doesn't make sense to slaughter an entire clan just to get to one girl…' I narrow my eyes at the thought. There was something else I was targeted for, but no matter how much I looked into the matter, no answers appeared. Ojii-san would probably know something about it, but I knew he wouldn't reveal that information because 'it was not my time to know'. I always despised those words, but I knew he had his reasons. Releasing a sigh, I glance down at the lake, seeing the reflection of the nearly full moon. The moon's reflection is muddled, shrouded by wisps of clouds.

"It was my fault. He wanted me. He killed everyone just for me." I mutter to myself as I continue to gaze at the moon's clouded reflection, ignoring the slight pang in my chest as I spoke those words. "Tch. I tell Inari to acknowledge the reason for his father's death to grow stronger, but here I am not taking my own advice. I'm such a hypocrite." I say to myself before smiling sadly. I place a hand on my head as I lean my elbow against my bent knee. 'Why am I even still here… What is my purpose?' I thought to myself as images of my sensei, Ojii-san, my teammates, and the hopeless expressions of the people in this country flash through my eyes. A small chuckle escapes my lips. 'I guess my mind already knows the answer even if my heart may not understand it. Emotions are weird… but I guess it's what makes me human. Something I chose to throw away before…'

The surrounding air shifts slightly, causing me to cast my gaze to the left. "You can come out now."

Several seconds pass before Sasuke appears on the branch next to mine, causing me to quirk a brow. "So what brings the great Uchiha out here? I know you wouldn't want to leave Sakura alone." I ask sarcastically as a smirk appears on my face.

Irritation coats his face but he only grunts in response before leaning against the tree trunk.

"Ahh…" I sigh out before looking out towards the lake. Silence envelopes the conversation before I grow tired of it and glance Sasuke's way. "So why exactly are you out here?"

"So now I can't go out without being questioned?" Sasuke rebukes, causing irritation to coat my face. He smirks in response.

'He's definitely different from when he was a child… guess time really does change people.'

"It wasn't your fault." He adds blandly. I furrow my brows in thought, causing him to sigh. "The massacre. Do I have to spell it out for you?"

I let out a dry laugh. "So you really think..." I shake my head before my expression darkens. "Don't talk about things you know nothing about. I know you're probably one of the few who truly understand my situation, but my clan's massacre was different from yours. You're not the reason why your clan is dead." I state coldly.

His eyes narrow dangerously as he clenches his fists. "I saw him kill my parents… I couldn't do anything but run away, but never again." He loosens his fists as he glares my way, "What was your excuse? You saw them die as well right? Why do you think you're still alive? I have a reason to keep living and that's to get my revenge… that's why he left me alive. What about you? Why did everyone else die for you? Or are you really pathetic that you'd only think to wallow in your own pity?"

A cruel smirk enters my face, "Why did they die for me? That's a stupid question to ask. Why did they die for me…" I trail off as my expression blanks. "Why would they protect a monster they wanted to destroy? I was nothing but a monster to them because of my ability… you only saw a small glimpse of it when I fought Zabuza. If you saw me lose control… you would question why they chose not to sacrifice me to that **man **and save themselves." I add with a sad smile. "It was illogical for them to save me, to protect me. But they did."

"Hn. Then don't let it go to waste." He adds before glancing down at me. "They knew the consequences. Accept it."

I send him a sly glance. "Ahh... you know, this is the most you've said. I thought you were socially inept." I answer with a shrug, causing him to send a glare my way. "But…arigato." Confusion enters his expression but I smile in response. "You're not that different from before… maybe a bit socially awkward, but still the same Sasu-chan."

A tick mark appears on his head. "I told you never to call me that." Realization crosses his features. "So it was you back then…" He trails off before his eyes narrow. "Why did you suddenly disappear?"

"I didn't disappear willingly," I ground out, "I had to be hidden from Orochimaru since he was still out there looking for me. Besides, I didn't remember who you were until recently. My memory was wiped out after the massacre."

His gaze softens slightly. "Hn. Don't go disappearing again. Who knows what trouble you'll run into on your own." He finishes with a smirk.

I smile weakly in response, "I know. You and…" I trail off as a dull ache enters my head, causing me to grip my head in pain.

"What's wrong?"

I slightly shake my head before facing him once again, "Nothing.. just a headache. There was someone else I spent time with in the Uchiha clan. It was your brother wasn't it?" I ask, causing Sasuke's eyes to become cold and guarded.

"Yes." His answer is cold and clipped, making it obvious that he didn't want to talk about it.

Before I can ask more, another wave of pain enters my head, causing me to bite back a gasp. It seemed something didn't want me to know more about Sasuke's brother. After several more seconds, the pain disappears, leaving me slightly panting. Sasuke's eyes narrow at the strange behavior, but I merely shrug it off, saying it was because of chakra depletion. He looks skeptical, but chose not to question further. Silence envelopes the conversation until Sasuke surprisingly breaks it.

"Do you remember the promise?" He asks softly.

I glance up at him, noticing him looking down at the lake. I release a small smile. "I remember. You… and your brother…" I trail off, noticing the obvious anger in his eyes at the mention of his brother, "promised to protect me when we were younger. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into." I whisper the last part, but it seems he heard it.

"That's not for you to decide." Sasuke states, still not meeting my eyes.

"Baka…" I mutter to myself as I glance down at the moon's reflection. It's no longer obscured by the clouds.

Silence continues to overtake the conversation, but we didn't mind. It wasn't until later that we decided to head back to Tazuna's house.

* * *

><p>~Next day~<p>

I woke up to the sound of …nothing?

I quickly snap my eyes open, immediately noticing the emptiness in the room. Straining my ears for any sound, I faintly hear running water, but the usual morning mayhem is missing. '…It's too quiet here…where is everyone?'

After changing, I search Sasuke's, Naruto's, and Kaka-sensei's room to find them empty. Everyone's, other than Naruto's, futon is neatly made. It's possibly Naruto woke up several minutes before me and in his haste to catch up to the others, forgot to wake me and make his futon.

'They left me… that's weird. I'm not one to oversleep but it could be from the training. But, why would they leave me behind?' Frowning slightly, I enter the kitchen to see Tsunami washing the dishes. She turns around and offers me a smile.

"Oh, you're up. Everyone else already left. Your sensei said you should take a day off."

I shake my head in disbelief. "Ahh… arigato. But I don't think I will. I can't let them have all the fun now can I?"

Tsunami merely sighs before going back to the dishes. "That's similar to what Naruto said. He didn't want to wake you up, saying you had a rough night and needed rest."

I smile despite my annoyance at being left behind. "I see. I better catch up with them. Ja ne." I call out as I jump out of the window.

After several minutes of travel, I stop on a tree branch, noticing unusual slash marks marring bark.

"What are these doing here?" I mutter to myself as I jump down to investigate.

My hands travel across the marks as I look at the other trees before my eyes narrow.

'They're leading back to the house…this isn't good…'

Without wasting another second, I race back to the house.

'I hope I'm not too late…" I grit my teeth in annoyance. 'I should have stayed back. I should have made sure Tsunami and Inari were safe.' I push my legs off harder against the tree branches, hoping I would make it back in time.

When I reached the house, I find the front door in shambles. Pieces of wood litter the ground, while broken dishes are scattered across the kitchen floor.

I clench my hands. 'They're not here…'

"Ehh Riku?"

I turn to see Naruto sending my a confused glance. I relax my grip before offering an easy-going smile. "Ahh.. surprised to see me?"

"No time Tsu-"

Before he can finish, I cut him off. "I know. We need to find them. They shouldn't be too far from here."

He nods and we quickly run over to the docks. When we arrive, we see Inari running toward the two men holding his mother hostage.

"Ahh... so he finally understands." I mutter. Naruto smiles and nods, but we didn't forget we had a little …pest to eliminate.

"Get Inari and Tsunami away. I'll take care of the rest." I state with a smirk. Naruto glances at me before nodding. "Seeing you like that… I'm afraid of what you're going to do."

"Nothing really." I answer with a smile, causing Naruto to sweat drop. "You're as scary as that sensei…" He trails off before looking back at the docks.

Before the two men could slice Inari in half, Naruto uses the replacement jutsu to get Inari and Tsunami away from the men. Meanwhile, I swim under the bridge and begin to bend the water. As the men turn around to look at Naruto, I form water tentacles and slowly wrap them along the men's legs.

"Sorry for being late. But heroes are supposed to be late." Naruto announces with a goofy grin.

"Naruto!" Inari exclaims, relief evident in his voice.

"Inari! Well done! I was able to save your mom because you got their attention."

"How did you find out the samurais were here?" Inari asks.

"Oh… I saw a wild boar that was sliced by a katana in the forest and I also saw some katana marks on some of the trees. The trail led back to your house, so I got worried."

"I see…" Inari mutters.

"You're just the incompetent ninja that Tazuna hired." One of the men state. "Let's kill him."

Before they charge at Naruto, the water tentacles strangle their bodies. I reappear behind one of them with a senbon pressed against his throat.

"Ahh… I hope you haven't forgotten about me…" I mutter darkly into his ear.

They continue to struggle, but the tentacles only compress their bodies more in response.

"Ne Riku you shouldn't torture people like psycho-sensei." Naruto adds with a slight sweat drop.

"Ah... We don't have time for this now do we?" I state with a sigh before pulling three senbon from my pouch in each hand. Within seconds, the senbon connect with their necks, knocking them out cold.

"Perfect!" Naruto yells as he pulls out some rope before tying the two ninja up.

Inari smiles in response. "You two really are ninja."

"Baka. We are ninja." Naruto states as he juts a thumb to his chest whereas I merely smile in response.

*Achoo*

Naruto and I both rub your noses. 'Did someone talk about us?'

"Are you two ok?" Inari asks.

"Of course." Naruto replies.

The air suddenly grows tense as I notice Inari sending nervous glances my way. I let out a sigh. 'Even if he had to hear those words yesterday... maybe I was too harsh... I might have just taken out my own frustration on him... how sad...'

I send Inari a glance, noticing him quickly looking off to the side.

"Ahh… Inari…"

He slightly flinches before peering at me hesitantly. 'He's not making this any easier...'

I shake my head before offering him a weak smile. "I want to apologize for yesterday... I was a bit... harsh..." I trail off.

"I want to apologize too. I called you a crybaby. I take that back. You're strong." Naruto states while patting Inari's head.

Inari smiles but tears begin to fall from his eyes.

"Damn it, I chose not to cry anymore…now you're going to make fun of me and call me a cry baby again." Inari states while rubbing his eyes.

"What are you talking about? It's ok to cry when you're happy." Naruto states with a smile.

"You're starting to grow up." My gaze softens. "Just remember to smile more ne?"

"Naruto…Riku…" Inari responds through his tears.

"Now I can leave this place to you right?" Naruto asks before accidentally knocking the tied ninjas over, causing them to crash in a crumpled heap.

"Yes!" Inari exclaims, completely ignoring the two groaning figures. 'Huh… must be an in-the-moment thing.'

Naruto's grin widens before he turns to me. "We better head to over to the bridge now."

I nod, noticing him already walking in that direction. "Before that..." I call out, causing him to turn back. "Naruto…could you wait a minute?"

He sends a small pout before conceding and telling me to hurry up. 'Still as eager as ever Naruto.'

I walk up to Inari and bend down so that I was at eye level with him, noticing in amusement the clear surprise on his face.

"Looks like you found your courage, Inari." I ruffle his hair affectionately, causing his eyes to further widen. "But that won't be enough to end this... I think it's about time the rest of this town find theirs as well, don't you? We won't always be here to fight your battles after all."

He ponders my words for a bit before realization crosses his face.

"I understand." He states with a smile.

"Good. Your father…he would be proud of you." I add, as a look of shock enters his face, only for it to be replaced by determination. Flashing me a confident smile he returns to Tsunami's side as I walk alongside Naruto.

"So what did you talk to him about?" Naruto asks. I shrug.

"Nothing much. Just how we can't always watch over this town."

"Guess that's true." He brings his hands behind his head.

"Now, don't you think it's time for this game to end?" I ask as a smirk enters my face.

His eyes shine in unrestrained glee. "It's about time!" Naruto does a fist pump before we disappear into the forest.

'Looks like the wheels of fate are turning…but this time, I'm in control.' I thought as we make our way to the bridge.

* * *

><p>~At the bridge~<p>

Even before we set foot on the bridge, we feel a sense of foreboding at the abnormally dense mist. Sharing an uneasy glance, we quietly inch behind some of stray metal beams before peering over at the shadowed figures before us. My eyes narrow at the figures, finding it difficult to differentiate them in the mass of fog before seeing Naruto shifting in the corner of my eye. I grab his wrist - halting his steps before shaking my head, signalling him to wait. He lets out a muted groan of displeasure, but concedes and observes the scene before us. The fog begins to lift, revealing the distinct pink of Sakura's hair. Naruto's eyes train on her as his hands tighten into fists.

I continue to watch him in silence, observing the tensing of his shoulders, the tightening of his jaw, the beads of sweat trailing down his face as he gazes unwavering at Sakura.

'You really care about her that much...' I thought before shifting my gaze back to the scene. All thoughts come to a crashing halt once I see masses of water float into the air before solidifying into ice mirrors - creating a dome around Sasuke.

'What... what is this... this... this has to be a joke... some sick joke right?' I grit my teeth as my body trembles. 'That ability... there's no doubt about it... he's from the clan.' I stare unseeingly ahead as a flurry of emotions flood my system. Shock. Pain. Hope. Fear. Anger. Clenching my hands, I shift my gaze to the floor as I hear Kaka-sensei calling out frantically to Sasuke, followed soon by a cry of pain. I don't look up. I felt numb.

'He escaped the massacre... he escaped... I'm not the only one anymore... I'm not ... alone...' I thought before something unsettling churns in my stomach. 'But why is he with Zabuza...?'

I glance up to see Sakura leaving her position before Tazuna to throw a kunai at the dome.

My expression darkens. '.. This isn't the time to get caught up in false hopes... we have our opening.'

"Naruto." I whisper.

He nods and we both ready our shuriken as the masked boy reappears out of the mirror to catch the kunai. The shuriken hit their mark, knocking the boy out of the ice mirror.

Seeing as this was a good moment to launch a surprise attack, I pull out several senbon. But it seems Naruto had other ideas, since he started forming hand signs to create a large smoke cloud.

'And here I thought he learned his lesson with Kaka-sensei.' My eye twitches when he reveals himself with a flourish once the smoke cloud clears.

"The noisy ninja that's number one at surprising people…" the masked boy mutters as Naruto reveals himself, "Which leaves the hidden protector."

"Uzumaki Naruto is here!" He exclaims. "Now that I'm here, everything's going to be just fine."

'Baka. Guess I might as well show up.' With a sigh, I throw several senbon at the masked figure, only to have him quickly evade it. Using the senbon as a distraction, I enter the ice dome before healing Sasuke's wounds. Surprise flashes across his face before it quickly melts away into irritation.

"Baka. What are you doing in here!" Sasuke whispers harshly as he grabs my wrist.

"Healing your wounds." I answer simply.

"I was trapped in here for a reason. We have to get out." Sasuke adds before letting go of my wrist. I see the masked boy glance back at us before shifting his attention back to Naruto.

"Ahh…don't think _he_ will let us out of here so easily. He's giving me a chance to heal you, so I say take it." I reply as I continue healing his wounds. He scoffs but does nothing to stop me.

During my conversation with Sasuke, Naruto had been sprouting some nonsense about books and saving the day.

"Shadow clone jutsu." Naruto yells.

Before Naruto completes the jutsu, Zabuza sends four shuriken at him.

"Dodge it Naruto!" Kaka-sensei yells. Naruto just stutters and stays in the same place.

"Baka." I mutter. I throw several kunai to stop them, only to see the kunai and shuriken deflected before making contact with each other. Shifting my eyes to the masked boy, I see his arm outstretched with a senbon still in his hand.

'He's fast…' I narrow my eyes as I glance down at the senbon used to stop the shuriken and kunai, 'and precise… not a good combination.'

"He was saved…" Sakura mutters out.

"How lucky, the enemy's attacks collided with each other." Tazuna states.

I frown at the false assumption. "If only that were true…" I mutter out, but it seems Sasuke caught it.

"You're right." Sasuke adds before sending me a cautious look. "That ability of his... it's just like yours, isn't it?"

I bite the bottom of my lip before nodding feebly."Yeah..." I cast Sasuke a side glance before glancing back at the others. 'So you caught on too...'

"What do you think you're doing Naruto!" Sakura yells, clearly upset at Naruto's mistake. It was a natural reaction, but seeing as how this was Naruto, it shouldn't have been too surprising. But still, I wasn't thrilled with the fact that she seemed to be overly angry at him.

'Not like you did any better…' I thought before letting out an irritated sigh in an attempt to dismiss it. 'No point in getting upset.'

"What kind of idiot tries to execute a technique right in front of the enemy? A ninja's essence relies on the art of deception. When you execute a technique, you must still do it while the enemy is not looking. You must take them by surprise, and think beyond the normal boundaries. The way you appeared back there only makes you target practice." Kaka-sensei scolds.

"Oh crap, I came here to help though…" Naruto responds frantically.

"You're still a newbie in this game." I state before hanging my head in slight disappointment.

Kaka-sensei looks in my direction and just sighs.

"Haku, what's the meaning of this?" Zabuza asks, irritation apparent in his voice.

"Zabuza-san, leave him to me," Haku answers, "Please let me do this fight my way."

"What did you say?" Naruto asks, confusion dominating his face.

Zabuza takes a moment before answering Haku. "So you don't want me to interfere, Haku…as usual, you are too soft."

Haku looks down. "Gomen."

'Too soft?' I repeat in my head before once again trailing my eyes down Sasuke's form, recalling how all of the senbon were aimed away from any vitals despite the number of entry wounds. 'Haku... he's too precise to miss,' I thought, recalling how he easily he deflected the kunai and shuriken moments before, 'so that would mean he's aiming for points not to kill but to paralyze... maybe even as far as to put us in a temporary state of death. But why?' My frown deepens as I hear Naruto in the background.

"That mask… so you were one of Zabuza's men. You tricked us!"

"Gomen…but your sensei said this too… the duty of a ninja is to deceive and find a weak spot. Please do not take it personally." Haku states solemnly.

I let out a sigh. The answer was obvious. He's too kind - too kind to kill us in an instant, to kill us in cold blood, to leave our faces frozen in muted horror. That isn't him. He isn't a monster. I smile wryly at the thought before allowing the remaining emotions on my face to fall. 'Even so... this game must end, even if we are from the same clan...'

*whish*

A kunai flies through the air at Haku, but he merely takes a small step back to avoid it.

"I would have liked for you to just lie there quietly, but I guess I can't expect that." Haku states while facing Sasuke. "Very well, I will finish the match with you first."

Haku starts walking to the dome.

"O-oi!" Naruto yells.

"Naruto-kun, I'll deal with you later." Haku states before disappearing into the ice mirror.

I glance at his reflection with a hard look. "How are you still alive?" I mutter, knowing he could still hear me despite the surrounding noise. "That ability of yours... it's similar to those in my clan..."

He doesn't respond for a moment. "I see... I wouldn't be surprised if we're somehow related... but that doesn't change what I must do, Riku-chan."

"So we fight then..." I let out a pained laugh before pulling out several senbon from my pouch. "Sure, but I wish we didn't have to meet this way."

A heaviness settles in my chest as I face Haku. 'If I had met you sooner... would things have been different?' I shake my head. 'It doesn't matter... the what ifs... he's just an enemy... nothing more.' Despite those words, the conflict is obvious in my body. Muscles locked in place, limbs tensed - quite unlike the usual fluidity I hold in my stances.

"...I would have liked it if you didn't interfere with this battle to begin with. I never wanted to meet you in a battlefield." He adds sadly before pulling out several more senbon. "But I see you won't back down." We throw our senbon at each other, but his connect, knocking me to the ground. 'He's faster than I thought…' I attempt to stand, only to find my legs and arms immobile.

"Shall we continue?" Haku motions toward Sasuke. Clenching his jaw, he glances back at me before blocking me from Haku's view. "Your fight is with me."

"Of course." Within seconds, Haku's image is reflected in all the mirrors, making it appear as if he had us completely surrounded. Without warning, senbon fly at Sasuke from every direction. He manages to block some of them, but a majority makes contact. A grunt of pain escapes him as the first onslaught slowly ends.

'Haku is purposely avoiding me… why won't he just attack?' I narrow my eyes at the thought as the water around my legs and arm slowly removes the senbon. 'Does he really not want to hurt me...? Is he really planning on holding back?' I try to move the fingers in my immobile hand only to have them twitch slightly. 'Damn it... just what is going on?' I let out a frustrated groan. 'I just need more time… but I don't have that.' Before more senbon make contact, I use my unaffected arm to create an ice platform under my hand before using water to propel myself in front of Sasuke's back. 'Bikoume.' A wall of water forms in front of us as I crash into Sasuke. The wall absorbs the senbon before crashing down onto the ground, scattering them across surface of the bridge.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Sasuke growls out before he pushes me over, blocking me from the rest of the senbon with his body. A cry of pain escapes his lips before he staggers forward while ripping the senbon from his arms.

"Sasuke-kun!" "Riku! Sasuke!"

Yells can be heard from outside the dome, but we ignore them.

"Stay out of this. Your head's a complete mess right now." Sasuke growls out as he rips more of the senbon out of his arms, all while holding a pained expression. "You're only a liability if you don't take this seriously."

I grit my teeth. I know that. I know I would only get in the way if I didn't take this fight seriously... if I didn't fight to kill. I had to see him as an enemy... I had to kill off whatever attachment I had to that masked boy, no matter how small it is. It should be easy - to see him as another faceless I need to kill - but why does it hurt to think that way now? I scoff as I shove that question back into my mind. 'What a twisted life we live...' I thought before steeling myself.

"Noted. Still...," I trail off as the rest of the senbon from my legs and arm clatter to the ground. "I'm not letting you die." I stagger up as ice forms along my elbows before ending at my hands, creating my ice claws.

"Baka." Sasuke breaks in as his back connects with mine. "That's my line, but you' finally serious. About time." I shake my head in amusement before glancing around, seeing Haku's blurred image dancing across my eyes.

"I see. You've chosen to interfere. I won't hold back either." Haku calls out to us as all his reflections hold three senbon in their hands.

"Ne Sasuke, did you figure it out? Aren't you and Naruto in a good position?" I whisper as I cast a side glance to see Naruto standing behind the ice mirror in front of Sasuke. Sasuke nods in reply, understanding if they attack at the same time, we would be able to eliminate the mirror.

"But, somehow I feel that something's going to-"

"Hey! I came in here to help." Naruto appears within the ice dome, squatting several inches way from Sasuke and me.

Not believing my ears, I slowly look down to see Naruto's goofy smile, causing me to stare blankly back before sweat dropping. '… I spoke too soon…guess that plan's a bust.' *sigh* My shoulders slightly sag as I see Naruto asking Sasuke if he was ok, seeing as he had the most senbon embedded in him. .

*twitch*

Sasuke's face goes from shocked, to annoyed, then to outright pissed off. I stare blankly at the two before glancing over at Haku who seemed to be watching all of us curiously - no signs of obvious aggression. 'Well that ruined the mood.' I thought wryly.

"You idiot! If you're a ninja be more careful!" Sasuke scolds.

"What's with that attitude? I came to help you!" Naruto yells back.

The argument continues onto the topic of idiots, causing me to shake my head. I send Haku a sheepish look. "This might take a while..." I say before my expression drops to a neutral one. "But seeing as we have time, tell me... do you _really_ plan on killing us?"

He makes no move to respond before uttering a soft yes - a painful, sorrowful empty yes.

I let out a empty laugh as I feel a heaviness settle in my chest. "Ah... I see. Even if it hurts us, we both have something to fight for." I allow my bangs to shroud my face. "Got it..."

"That's it! I'll destroy the mirrors myself." Sasuke states.

I snap my gaze to Sasuke to see him forming hand signs for a fireball jutsu. A scene flashes before my eyes, showing me the failed attempt.

"Another game piece…" I state with my eyes closed, drawing up more scenes.

"Ehh? What are you doing?" Naruto asks.

"These mirrors are frozen water then…katon: fireball jutsu."

I snap my gaze open to see fire engulfing the mirrors, forming cracks against their surface; however, the mirrors remain intact.

'There's no doubt about it now...' I narrow my eyes. 'That ice... it's a clan ability.'

"You're going to need more firepower to melt these mirrors." Haku states.

'But there's a weak point somewhere... even if we can't melt it.' I bend some water around us, scattering it into the air. 'It should the spot where he enters the mirrors, but exactly where is it?'

The mirror glows and more senbon fly towards us. Sasuke eyes the scattered water droplets in an attempt to get a bearing on Haku's movements as I block some of the incoming senbon with my ice claws. But even with the Bikoume, some senbon connected with their targets, our pressure points. I slightly stagger back as I feel numbness enter my legs once again. 'He won't let me have enough time to recover like last time…' I thought as I glance around at the others. Naruto had several senbon embedded in his arms and back but he was better off than I was. Sasuke was in a similar condition, but he seemed lost in thought.

"Damn it, where is he attacking from? Are those replications?" Naruto asks as he glances around.

"No… if they were then there wouldn't be any use for the mirrors." I answer as I eye the mirrors, searching for a weak point somewhere in the dome. "We have to find the weak point in the mirrors if we have any hope of destroying that ice."

"So it's similar to your ability?"

"Somewhat... he actually spent time perfecting his ice. I spent more time on perfecting its liquid state." I answer bitterly. "Didn't think that would come back to haunt me."

"Damn it!"

"There's no use in trying to follow me with your eyes. But I wonder… it seems as if one of you is able to predict some of my attacks." Haku states. "You have another Bloodline Limit as well, don't you Riku-chan?"

Naruto tenses, knowing how I felt about my so-called gift. I close my eyes before responding, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm nothing more than an average genin." I fake a smile. Before Haku replies, Naruto interrupts.

"That's it!" Naruto yells before forming a hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Baka!" Sasuke yells, but it was too late. Numerous clones had already formed.

"I'll destroy all the mirrors and see which one is real!" Naruto states as his clones jump at the mirrors.

'No!' I bend a wall of water in an attempt to repel the attack, but the senbon merely pass through it before eliminating all the clones, leaving the real Naruto crashing towards the ground but I manage to catch him before he makes impact.

'… The senbon…they passed through my barrier? Why didn't that happen before?' I thought in annoyance. 'His speed has increased… does that mean he's been toying with us this whole time?' I thought as I steadied Naruto on his feet before clutching my chest in pain. 'Wha…Now?'

"This is a traveling technique that utilizes mirror reflections that only reflect me. From my speed you two look like you're standing still. Riku-chan is able to catch up to me for several moments; however, it seems she won't be able to last much longer…." Haku trails off. "Looks like this is where it ends."

Sasuke and Naruto look in my direction and can tell that the stress on my body was building up. My breathing was coming out in pants while small sparks of lightning start coming off my legs. My grip on my chest tightens as I feel my element rejecting me. 'This isn't supposed to happen… if it rejects me, if I can't control it then it's only a matter of time before I reach the End.'

"Damn it…So what? I can't die here. I still have a dream I need to achieve. The dream to make the villagers recognize me and become Hokage!" Naruto yells as he struggles to move. "Besides, Riku isn't one to give up and I'm not letting her die here either!"

My eyes widen at his words. "Naru…"

"I will fight for my dream. And you will fight for your dream. Please do not hold any grudges. I want to protect him, fight for him, and make his dream come true. That is my dream. In order to make it come true, I will become a ninja. I will kill you." Haku states as he holds a senbon in front of his face.

The words struck a chord, but I ignore it as I fight against the lightning restraining me, only for it to further drain me. 'Why…' Naruto uses his shadow replication technique once again, but the result remains the same. While Naruto repeats the jutsu, Sasuke kicks the water into the air in hopes of tracking Haku's movements. 'Why is it that no matter how much I've trained, no matter how much pain I suffered, I'm still too weak to protect him…' I clench my fists as I try calm down my breathing. 'Stop doubting yourself… you're stronger than this...'

As Sasuke sends a fireball Haku's way, I release a stream of lighting; it circles around the flames before exploding – sending all three of us skidding away. I feel the ice against my arms cracking against the strain before they shatter. As the small cloud of dust disappears, several cracks appear on some of the mirrors, but they quickly reform themselves as Haku eyes the burn mark on his left sleeve. Parts of his left arm held small sparks of lightning but he quickly dissipates them. Unfortunately for him, the damage was already done and his left arm was paralyzed. Even so, I can't say we escaped unscathed. Naruto, Sasuke, and I had been knocked back by the explosion, leaving us wide open for the barrage of senbon that were sent our way. Grunts of pain escape my lips as the senbon make impact, but the lightning manages to weakly repel some away. I glance over to Sasuke and Naruto and see them panting on their knees.

"That…*pant* was not supposed *pant* to happen." I breathe out, earning a slightly frustrated look from Sasuke that looked like a sarcastic 'really' and an understanding look from Naruto.

"Riku, Naruto can you two still move?" Sasuke asks.

"Of course." We both state as we stagger back up. I clutch chest in pain, before lowering my hand and clenching my teeth. 'Don't show weakness… you're just a damn shadow!'

The mirrors begin to glow, signaling Haku's attack. Sasuke begins forming the hand signs for the fireball jutsu.

"Naruto run! Get out and attack from the outside!" Sasuke yells. "Riku, clear the way."

The lightning creeps along my arms, causing slight burns to appear. Naruto makes his way towards the edge of the dome though he is knocked back a bit by Haku. Without wasting a second, Naruto gets back up and tries again. Sasuke sends a fireball in Haku's direction. Haku turns around and embeds a senbon into Sasuke's shoulder. Taking advantage of the distraction, I aim at Haku's face, forming a small crack against the surface of his mask before he kicks me into Naruto's running form. Both of us scramble back up but regardless of how many attempts we made, we're forced back. Eventually, all of us are hunched on the ground panting. I glance up at Haku and see several scratches on his mask and the cracks in the mirrors repairing themselves.

"Damn it!" Naruto yells, pounding his fist against the ground in frustration.

"Almost there…" I pant out before a surge of lightning flows through my body which is quickly followed by pain. I grit my teeth in annoyance, attempting to hide the pain from the others, but Sasuke notices.

"Naruto, let's do it again." Sasuke states before looking back at me. I could tell he wanted me to stay put. Naruto glances back at me as well before facing Sasuke.

"Okay."

Sasuke and Naruto begin charging at the mirrors. A scene flashes through my eyes.

"Baka." I grit my teeth in pain before forcing myself over to the others. As Haku releases the senbon, I shove Sasuke out of the way just as he was about to complete his jutsu. The senbon connect with my back, sending me sprawling against the ground as Sasuke's fireball jutsu misses Haku completely.

"Riku!"

Taking advantage of this moment, Haku throws several senbon towards Naruto's back but before they connect, I form a water tentacle around Naruto's waist before throwing him towards a gap in the mirrors. Naruto flails for a moment before realizing how close he is to the outside, but before he could take one step outside, Haku reappears and kicks Naruto back towards us.

'Almost there…'

"AHHH!"

'A scream? What's going on out there…that was Sakura…' I look past the ice mirrors but see nothing but mist.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto mumbles as he gazes towards the gap in the mirrors.

I glance in his direction. 'He still thinks of her… I have to get us out of here…'

I watch as Naruto forces himself up and races towards the opening of the dome. He sees Haku's reflection and jumps back, running to another opening. Haku's image continues to chase after him.

'I'm not going to sit back and watch this…'

I get off of the ground and race towards Naruto, only to stumble back into the ground. 'Screw this!' I rip the senbon in my legs, ignoring the pain and numbness overtaking my legs as I push chakra into them to reach Naruto.

"Behind you!" Sasuke yells.

Naruto looks back, while Haku gets ready to throw several senbon. Before they could connect, I push Naruto to the ground, only to have him switch our positions and take the hit. My eyes widen. "Naru…"

He weakly gets on his knees and hands as he looks down on me. "Looks like we're even now huh?" He questions with a cheeky grin before slumping over to the side. Sasuke quickly comes over.

"Don't waste your chakra like that anymore. That's what he wants us to do." He warns before taking a defensive stance in front of us.

"Like I'm just going to sit here and let him kill us." Naruto grits out as he attempts to stand, only to fall to the side once again.

"I'll end this now." Haku states.

'Looks like I don't have another choice…' The lightning around me begins to crackle, but Sasuke pays no mind to it as he easily deflects the incoming senbon sent our way.

"Get up!" Sasuke yells.

"I know…stop being so annoying!" Naruto yells while getting into a sitting position.

"Sasuke. Naruto won't be able to guard himself right now. Get ready." I mutter as I allow the unstable lightning to encircle my form. Even if I couldn't completely control my element, I knew I had to do whatever I can to protect them. They would do the same for me.

Haku's image appears on all the mirrors before hundreds of senbon rain down on us from all directions. Although unstable, the lightning manages to deflect some of the senbon coming our way. Suddenly Haku disappears from the mirrors.

"Where is he? Naruto, you better not faint! We can't cover for you any longer!" Sasuke yells while looking around.

"I don't need your help..." Naruto mutters before falling back into the ground.

"Naruto!" I call out before a scene flashes through my eyes. 'I see…' I put my mask back on.

"Looks like that boy can't move." Haku states.

"Sasuke above." I call out as I form an ice platform.

He looks up to see Haku ready to attack.

"Magnificent. You two move perfectly in sync, but I will stop you with the next shot."

"Sasuke." He casts me a side glance as I lift the ice platform. "Target practice! Fire!" I throw the sheet of ice into the air as he creates the hand signs for his fireball jutsu.

"Katon: fireball jutsu!" A fireball hurls at the platform but before it makes contact, I send a stream of lightning towards it, causing another explosion. I shield my eyes from the smoke with my arm before glancing back up. As the smoke disappears, we see shards of ice embedded into some of the mirrors, but it seemed Haku was unharmed.

'So that was a bust…' I thought with a mental frown before another crack forms on Haku's mask. Without warning, several more senbon come our way, but the amount is significantly lower than last time. As I cast a side glance at Sasuke, I notice his eyes are red.

"You activated the sharingan. Congrats." I state with a small smile.

"I see, so you possess a Bloodline Limit as well." Haku states as the ice projectiles break off the afflicted mirrors. The cracks are still present upon the mirrors' surface but they're far from being broken. Haku's image reappears on all the mirrors, showing both of his hands holding three senbon.

'So he's regained use of his left arm… there's only two possible outcomes from this.'

"Sasuke…no matter what happens…don't move from that spot." I warn.

The drastic shift in my voice catches him off guard. "Nani?" He glances over before look of realization crosses his face.

Before he can react, Haku makes his way toward Naruto. Already knowing he would, I stand protectively over Naruto's body.

' …will it work?'

I form my ice claws before eerie purple sparks crackle around them. Haku continues to approach, but before my claws make contact, Sasuke stands protectively in front of me, taking the needles to the chest before kicking Haku away.

'That choice... he wasn't supposed to make that choice!'

"Baka! I told you not to move!" I yell before slamming my claws into the ground. The lightning sloppily charges at Haku through the puddles but he manages to escape into the safety of his mirror as the lightning harshly collides against its surface before disappearing into small sparks.

'What changed... what made him change his mind at the last second? He wasn't supposed to move... he was supposed to have stood there... so why change his mind?'

Sasuke coughs up blood as Naruto finally wakes up.

"You weren't supposed to move..." I mutter weakly.

"Che. I'm not going back... on our promise." Sasuke mutters back before another round of coughs racks his body. "Naruto.. really…you're a burden …all the time."

"Sasuke! You did i-" Naruto stops short when he notices the blood on the ground.

Sasuke turns back, an eerily peaceful look on his face. "Look at yourself…Naruto…baka…"

"Why!" Naruto yells back.

I say nothing in response, only staring blankly at Sasuke's weakening form.

Sasuke's head slumps down a bit.

"I hated you…" Sasuke breathes out.

"Then why? I never asked either of you to protect me!" Naruto yells out, frustration clear in his voice.

"I promise that I would always protect you…" I finally answer before facing Sasuke. "But Sasuke…you should have forgotten…so why…" I whisper the last part - my voice fading.

"My body moved on its own…" He answers before falling back. Before he can hit the ground, Naruto and I catch his body.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yells.

Water covers my hands as I try to heal his wounds, pulling out some of the senbon around his neck but leaving the ones in his chest, sealing the holes marring his skin. 'They're in a lot deeper than before... why?' I eye the senbon, noticing the residual amounts of chi coating them. 'He coated them with wind... he actually aimed to kill...' I realize as blood begins to dribble out from the holes. 'Just calm down... breathe... just keep healing... just stabilize him!' I chant in an attempt to calm my frayed nerves.

"Just hang on... you'll be... fine." I order shakily as I feel his pulse weaken with each passing second. Slowly, the water delves into the wounds on his chest, carefully extracting the remaining senbon and tossing them to the ground - all while sealing the skin. Even then, his pulse doesn't return; it continues to weaken. The damage had already been done.

"Baka..." He weakly grabs my hand before locking his gaze with mine. "That man… I didn't want to die until I killed my brother…" He tightens his grip. "You two…don't die." He finishes softly before his hand drops and his eyes close.

'I failed... I couldn't... I-'

My eyes begin to burn as I feel his body falling limply in my arms. It wasn't long until I notice water dripping onto Sasuke's face.

'It's raining?' I touch my face to see water on my hands. I was crying. I was actually crying. Even when my clan was killed, I didn't shed a single tear since I knew it wouldn't bring them back. But then why am I crying now? Did Sasuke really mean that much to me? Even more to me than my clan? My breathing becomes harsher as my emotions reach their boiling point, spilling over the edges of my sanity.

"He was able to jump into a trap to protect someone important. He is a ninja worthy of respect. Is this the first time you've seen a friend die?" Haku asks from the mirror.

"It's not..." I whisper hoarsely before staggering away from the two as I feel a wave of emotions crashing down on me.

_"Ri-chan's Ri-chan. Even if you do look like a boy. You'll forever be Ri-chan to me."_

_I was happy... _

_"Ri-chan, why don't you smile more... no not like that. From your heart."_

_But..._

_"You don't belong in ROOT Ri-chan."_

_... it couldn't last._

_"No, stop it. Ri-chan can't take anymore!"_

_Blood. There was so much blood. He didn't deserve it. _

_"Ri-chan... I was happy..." _

_And I lost him... my light..._

"Shut up…I hated you too…" Naruto mutters.

_But I found a new one... I found a family. But it couldn't last either... could it? He died and ..._

_**I lost my light. It hurts.**_

Lightning encases my body - surging, coiling, destroying the ground around me. Nothing is in my control…all I can do was watch as dark purple masses seep out in crackling sparks - suffocating me, coiling more and more around me - before my mind blanks. All I knew was that I had to kill.

"**_I won't forgive you… not until you spill every last drop of your blood._**" I rasp out, holding a claw over my left eye. The senbon from my body clatter uselessly to the ground as my wounds regenerate themselves. The lightning circles menacingly against my body, but I felt nothing. I felt empty. Swirls of red chakra appear to my left, causing me to turn. I stare blankly at the figure, recognizing him as a comrade before zeroing in on the masked figure before me.

'**_Enemy_**.'

The masked figure tries throwing senbon at us, but our chakra deflects them before they even reach. My comrade destroys a mirror but the masked figure manages to escape his grasp. Lightning surges against the mirrors' surface, shattering them upon impact. Once again, my comrade goes after the enemy and manages to grab him. The enemy tries to protect himself but it was useless. I reappear behind the figure, grabbing him by throat before sending electrical impulses into his body. His body spasms before I throw him into the air towards my comrade. A maniacal gleam enters my comrade's eyes, sending a wave of familiarity through me, but pain overrode that.

'**_Kill him.' _**

The voice, pained yet enraged, echoes in my head. I glance over towards my comrade, seeing him land a punch across the enemy's face – effectively sending him through the last mirror.

The masked figure staggers up as the remaining ice shards rain down.

**_'KILL HIM!' _**

Suffering… pain… solitude. They overwhelm me. With a growl, I charge towards the masked figure.

**_'He took everything away.'_**

Closer. So close.

**_'He doesn't deserve to live!' _**

His mask breaks away, revealing the gentle smile of a brown haired boy. My claw stops centimeters from his face.

**_'You...'_**

"You're that guy from before…" A familiar voice enters my ears. I glance to my left, noticing a familiar blonde haired boy.

Naruto.

The name replays in him head. Naruto… my … friend... my light. The purple lightning dissipates from my body as the ice claws revert back to water. As my eye reverts back to its normal appearance, wave of exhaustion hits my body, but I fight to stand.

"Why did you stop? I killed an important friend of yours, but you can't kill me?" Haku asks.

'Haku… he… I almost…'

I look down. "When you said we would meet again…I never expected it to be like this…" I trail off before I look at him sadly. "I can't …kill you…"

As Haku looks at me in surprise, Naruto takes this chance to punch Haku in the face, sending him skidding across the ground. He slowly gets up, wiping the blood off his mouth.

"Where did that energy of yours go? You can't defeat me like that. He wasn't an important person to you?" Haku asks before staggering back up. "There are people who misunderstand. They fail to defeat an enemy that needs to be defeated, showing them mercy instead and deciding not to take his life…If you ask me, doing something like that is not showing any mercy. Do you know the pain of living without a dream? Knowing you're not needed by anyone?"

Naruto looks at him in confusion. "What are you trying to say?" Naruto asks hesitantly.

"Zabuza-san does not need a weak ninja. You stole my reason to exist." Haku replies with a forced smile.

Clenching his hands, Naruto asks, "Why? Why do you work for that guy?"

"It's because he saved you... didn't he?" I ask, catching Naruto's attention. "He saved you from death... he's your light, you his shadow." I smile sadly. "It seems you know that clan concept even if it only applies to lightning users."

Haku shakes his head. "It applies to everyone, but you are correct. When someone accepts you from the bottom of their heart appears, that person should become the most important person to you… in other words, your light." He eyes Naruto. "It seems you've found yours as well."

I nod, causing Naruto's eyes to widen. "Riku... you..."

Haku smiles sadly. "…Zabuza-san knew I was from a family with a Bloodline Limit and raised me. He wanted this ability that everyone hated. I was happy…" Haku drifts off. "I was his shadow... but his light grew too strong and I couldn't match him so all I can do is disappear. I... am no longer needed."

I grit my teeth. 'Haku. You never wanted this, but you did everything for that person. Even then, you showed us mercy...and I almost killed you in cold blood. I knew Sasuke wasn't killed, but I- no, it wasn't that. Everything... all my hate, loneliness, fear… it came out… everything I tried to hide took over.' I let out an empty chuckle. 'How twisted.'

"Your eyes are broken." I mutter, catching Haku's surprised glance. "That's what you've said to me the first time we met right?" I ask, smiling wryly. "You say you're his shadow, but for him, you're his light. He can't survive without you either so keep living."

"Even so, I-"

"Then kill."

Naruto gawks. "Riku, what are you saying? You seriously want us to fight each other until one of us is dead?"

"If he was anyone else... yes." I answer, before locking my gaze with Haku. "But I'm not talking about us. I'm talking about Gatoh. Why are you fighting this battle for him? I know you're strong enough to kill him right now if you wanted to, yet you still follow him. Whatever you two are doing, it's a risky gamble... but if that's the case," I trail off as a cruel smile enters my face, "then why not take another?"

"Another?" Naruto repeats before his eyes widen at my expression. "Hey, you're not-"

"Please, just kill me. I lost my purpose. That is the only way." Haku adds, causing me to grit my teeth.

"So you give up. Call it quits?" I reappear in front of Haku, kicking him in the stomach. He skids across the bridge before slowly standing up again. "If you give up on your life so easily, then I'll gamble on it." I call out. "If you think so little of it, then surely you don't mind." I finish, sickening sweetness coating every word.

"Riku! What happened to you not being able to kill him?" Naruto restrains me, thinking I lost control again. "We can't do this!"

"If you're going to kill me, it will take more than that." Haku replies calmly as he straightens up. "Even if we're from the same clan, you shouldn't hold back on someone who killed your teammate... or rather, your other light."

I let out a dark chuckle. "I see." I place my persona back on. "Then we better just end it here. This game has gone on long enough."

"You can't be serious!" Naruto exclaims, tightening his hold on me. "He doesn't deserve this!"

"I'm sorry to ask this of you Naruto…but please… I know Riku won't be able to." Haku interrupts, smiling sadly at both of us. Naruto looks down before slowly releasing his hold on me.

"We could have all been friends. Guess that dream is gone now." I say coldly before pulling out a kunai and handing it to Naruto. "It's time for us to wake up." I take several steps back, separating myself from Naruto. Naruto sends me a hurt look in response, but I stare blankly back. "He asked you. If that is his last request, then honor it."

He doesn't reply for a moment, staring blankly at the kunai in his hand before meeting my eyes.

"…What are you planning Riku?" Naruto whispers so only I could hear, causing me to fight off the small smile creeping up my face. 'He knows me better than I thought.'

"An end to this monotonous game." I answer as I close my eyes. 'Bikoume.'

Naruto doesn't respond. I hear the clatter of metal, causing me to cast a glance back. The kunai I gave Naruto is on the ground. Before I could say anything, Naruto pulls out one of the two remaining kunai from his holder. "If he wants this, I'll do this on my own." I can tell his emotions are conflicted, but even so, he knows what needs to be done.

"Ahh…" I mutter wearily in reply before heading into the mist, not noticing the look of betrayal sent my way.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry that my chapters are long, but I left this one off on a cliffy. If you guys want me to shorten my chapters then tell me and I'll see what I can do. There was a little fluff in here, but at Riku is starting to develop into a slightly different person while maintaining the cold persona she had to create. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and I'll update as soon as I can. (^.^) <strong>

**I also want your opinion. Should Haku and Zabuza be saved? or should Riku fail? I already know how I want this to turn out but I want to hear your thoughts. Please send me a message or review so I can have your opinions. Thanks again.~**

**New Note: I changed Riku's personality in this chapter to make it match the other chapters I rewrote. I noticed how Riku's personality would constantly change in the first draft, so I'm rewrote it so that the transition between Riku revealing her true self rather than holding onto her persona would be a more realisitc approach. From what I see, people tend to hold various layers of personalities and Riku is no different. She still holds onto her persona to get by because she can't afford to be seen as vulnerable (in her mind), but she is slowly noticing small shifts in her personality that she was unable to fully grasp before. Hope that helps explain the changes made in this chapter. On to the next rewrite xD**

**(Edited 7/2/14)**


	7. Chapter 7: Reality Check

-Chapter 7: Reality Check-

**AN: Thank you for reading this story. I'm going to keep posting as much as I can and hopefully finish this story before school starts. Thanks to ****Tenshin-no-Tsubasa**** for reviewing. I hope you like how Zabuza's battle ends. I really like reading your reviews and it motivates me to keep writing. Sasuke might act a little weird but hopefully I don't make him go out of character too much. **

*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 2)*

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><p><strong>Other notes:<strong>

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

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><p>Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.<p>

_~Maria Robinson _

'_**Everything must come to an end… be it a game or a life, but nothing prevents me from changing the ending. So why not gamble on it?'**_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

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><p><strong>(First person perspective)<strong>

*pant*pant*pant*

I feel the backlash from the berserker state wearing down on me, making every step I take feel more painful than the last. As I continue through the mist, I hear the tell-tale signs of a fight: the clatter of metal, the grunts of annoyance and strain, the soft steps against the ground before the sound of rushing air takes over. The thickness of the mist slowly increases, but somehow I knew I was going in the right direction.

"Riku! You're alright!" Sakura exclaims. Not pausing in my steps, I look to my left and see Sakura guarding Tazuna. Relief glows across her face as she takes in my appearance before confusion quickly takes over.

"Yeah…" I mutter out before passing her.

"Wait. Where's Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asks frantically.

'You still only think about him…yet you know nothing about him…what about Naruto? Don't you care about him?'

I don't answer and keep running towards the two blurred figures taking shape within the mist.

"Riku!"

I ignore her.

"Riku stop! You're going to get hurt!"

Again, I ignore her call, pushing myself further into the slowly dispersing mist. The distinct sound of crackling lightning breaks through the eerie silence. As the sound registers in my mind, I push my already aching limbs further, stumbling over myself before finally seeing Kaka-sensei standing a ways in front of Zabuza's trapped form. Several dogs had their teeth embedded into Zabuza's skin, tightly locking him in place for a clear shot.

'Almost there… almost there.' I repeat to myself before bending the water from the bridge into my arms to form ice claws.

'I never did this twice in one day so who knows what will happen. Not me for sure.' I thought with a small smirk as I feel my control slightly wavering.

My breathing becomes harsher as I feel myself picking up speed. The dark purple lightning reappears, crackling against my skin menacingly. In that instance, Kaka-sensei rushes towards Zabuza with the chidori, digging out a trail in the ground with the force of his attack; yet before the attack connects, I appear in front of Zabuza, bearing my ice claws towards my sensei. From there, I see everything in slow motion. Kaka-sensei's eye widens as he registers the situation, but we both know the attack can't be stopped. I mouth words to him, but he doesn't respond. I could see him trying to change the direction of his attack, but I create ice spikes to make sure that Kaka-sensei's only target is me. His eyes bore into me, asking me why I'm doing this. I smile and mouth:

'Because I can.'

Anger and desperation enters his eye as he tries to think of a possible escape, but we both know nothing can be done. Pain flitters across his eye as resignation takes over. This is the end. He can't deny it anymore, but he didn't know whose end it will be.

As the attack closes in, doubt finally crosses my mind. Would I really be able to stop this attack? Why am I doing this in the first place? My mind reels at the questions, but for some reason, me standing here, me being at the opposite end of Kaka-sensei's attack… it felt right.

I recall the scene I saw before this gamble even came into existence. In a few milliseconds, Haku would reappear before Zabuza, in the place where I currently stood, to fulfill his final act of loyalty. But, I knew that wouldn't happen. Once one event is altered, the others change and although the Bikoume is able to quickly filter through the future events, taking into account the opponent's changes, I could see nothing after my intervention. I saw no future, no ending. Nothing. This was what unnerved me. It had never happened before now, but even so, it means the future was not yet set. It was still open to change and that was why I was taking a risk. I … I didn't do this out of pity… just out of mild curiosity. I wanted to see if bonds could still hold true in the face of death. That was all. But I could feel myself scoffing at that statement, knowing it was a lie. When did my emotions govern my actions? Why did I let them? I was trained to ignore my emotions, to kill in cold blood, but everything's changed ever since I met that blond-haired goof ball. He's changed me… Haku as well… Is that why I am doing this?

The attack closes in.

'3…2…1…' I count down in my head.

Before I knew it, Haku appears in front of me, throwing several senbon at Kaka-sensei's summoning scroll before glancing back at me with a sad smile. A rough kick causes me to skid away from the attack, reverting the scene back to how it's supposed to be with Haku playing out his final act of loyalty. My eyes widen as the scene replays in my mind. 'He changed it back… he's …no!' Not processing what's happening, allowing my body to act of its own accord, my claw grips onto Kaka-sensei's hand as it makes contact with Haku's chest. My ice claw shatters upon contact with the chidori as blood quickly pours out of Haku's mouth, landing onto the ground in dripping heaps. My eyes widen at the scene before me as I feel his blood flowing down my wrist before dripping down onto the ground.

*crack*

I feel my control slipping but I fight against it before grabbing onto Kaka-sensei's wrist with my other claw, taking as much of the attack as I possibly can. The purple lightning around me solidifies before winding its way over to the chidori as if feeding off it before pain surges through me. The nerves in my body involuntarily jolt my limbs as the lightning begins to surge through me. I clench my eyes as the pain escalates before a cry escapes my lips. Kaka-sensei attempts to rip his arm from my grasp but my hold is too tight. I can't move… I'm locked in place. Eventually the attack dissipates, leaving Haku's nearly dead body tightly grasping Kaka-sensei's wrist as my grip becomes slack and I totter to the side.

"Riku!" Kaka-sensei makes a move to grab me but notices Haku's unrelenting grip.

"Zabuza-san.." Haku coughs out. More blood splatters to the ground.

"Looks like you're wrong again, Kakashi." Zabuza states as Kaka-sensei's summons disappear.

The mist finally lifts, revealing the bridge in its entirety.

"Splendid Haku. I sure picked up something nice." Zabuza reaches for his sword and prepares to cleave Kaka-sensei and me in half. "He gave me this great opportunity at the very end!"

Kaka-sensei tries to move away, but Haku retains a firm grip on his wrist. Before Zabuza can complete his attack, Kaka-sensei manages to grab Haku and me as he jumps away.

"So you were able to dodge that because Haku's dead." Zabuza states with a chuckle. For some reason, something felt off about Zabuza's voice. His voice held less malice. His voice… his tone…it sounded… almost forced. A cough breaks me out of my thoughts, causing me to glance down at its source, Haku. Blood continues to trail down the corner of his lips as his breathing becomes shallower. As he slowly opens his eye lids, I notice a glassy haze slowly overtaking his eyes. He's dying.

"Haku…" I whisper out. A jolt of pain enters my chest but I ignore it, trailing my hand across the wound on this chest. The blood isn't clotting; the internal damage is too severe for me to save him with what I currently had.

"Riku…" I glance up at Kaka-sensei before he hands me Haku's body. "I know what you were trying to do, even if you don't understand it yourself…" He trails off as he stands.

"That bastard.." Naruto grounds out.

"Naruto! You stay there and watch." Kaka-sensei bites out. His tone left no room for argument. "This is my battle!" Controlled anger flashes across Kaka-sensei's face before he gazes at Naruto and Sakura.

I turn to face them as I cradle Haku's battered body in my arms, ignoring the blood staining my clothes. Naruto's eyes dull once he hears Sakura's voice. Frustration and sadness enters his eyes as he looks down, refusing to respond to her questions. When she questions us about Sasuke, neither of us respond. I know it was cruel to do this to her and Naruto…to deny them the knowledge that Sasuke was still alive… I knew it was cruel but it was for Haku… he didn't want Zabuza to think of him as weak… and for some odd reason, I felt the need to preserve that image for him. Call me insane if you want, but I don't understand why.

"Kakashi you don't have time to look away!" Zabuza's voice breaks me from my thoughts. I snap my gaze back to him as he charges at us with his sword. Before he can make contact, Kaka-sensei kicks him in the face, sending him further down the bridge.

"Riku. Stay here." He orders before going after Zabuza to continue the fight.

A bloodied hand reaches toward me, causing me to look back down at the body resting in my arms.

"Zabu..za…san?" Haku mutters out.

I glance down at him, feeling another jolt of pain in my chest. "He's still alive. You… you still took the hit. Why? You could have lived with Zabuza." I ask in confusion. What drove him to sacrifice so much for this one person? I furrow my eyes brows in thought before a look of realization takes over. 'It's what I would have done if it was Naruto… I already know why but I… why do I feel empty?'

The lightning around my form dissipates as my ice claw cracks.

"I did not…want to be…useless…he was not…yours to save." He breathes out. More blood trickles out of his mouth.

"Baka…" I mutter out as my vision begins to face in and out. A violent cough racks my body as my ice claw finally shatters. I glance down at my hand to see blood as specks of black and red invade my vision. 'So that's my consequence…' I thought as I shake the dizziness away from my mind. 'Not as bad as I thought…' Haku notices the blood on my hand before grabbing it in a surprisingly tight hold. He holds it in front of my face, allowing the blood to drip from my hand into his open wound. "I don't understand you…you…" Before he finishes another cough breaks out, causing more blood to dribble from his mouth.

"You shouldn't talk. Conserve… your strength." I state with a small frown as my vision slowly clears. As I lower his body to the ground, I bend some water over his wound, pouring as much of my chakra as I could in an attempt to heal as much of his injury as possible. The water glows a light white as it regrows some of the cells before healing the ones that were salvageable.

"It's useless…I am going to die…" He mutters with a calm smile. "You're wasting your…time."

I glance at his face for a moment before continuing my work. It was obvious I would not be able to save him from death; his injuries were beyond my knowledge in healing. I could only lengthen whatever time he had left, but something kept telling me I had to save him. Something told me that there was still a chance, as unrealistic as it sounded.

"I never do." I mutter. "This isn't a waste. I … I want to save you… but I-I can't. I'm not a medic nin. I can't save you…" I trail off as I clench my eyes. My emotions were leaking out again, but for some reason, I didn't care if Haku saw me like this. I didn't care if my mask was gone. I just wanted to finally let whatever I've been bottling up go even though I was still fighting to retain my mask. Old habits do die hard. "I can extend how much time you have left. You don't know how much you mean to Zabuza and I'm not going to take that moment away from you." I finish as I continue healing his injuries.

Haku's eyes slightly widen before he adverts his gaze. Silence dominates the area, save for the hits exchanged between the two jounin and the swishing of the water. A cry of frustration leaves Sakura as she passes me to reach Sasuke's fallen form. She bumps into my shoulder without a second glance and continues her way to Sasuke. I slightly pause before glancing down at Haku once again.

"You didn't kill Sasuke…did you?" I ask flatly.

"How…"

Before he finishes his statement I break him off.

"You are too kind Haku… you never wanted to kill him so you put him in a temporary state of death, correct?"

His eyes widen slightly before nodding. Sakura's screams could be heard from the other side of the bridge. I glance at Naruto and could see that the guilt was eating at him.

"They ..don't know…" Haku states. "You won't… tell them?"

"…Not yet…" I answer softly, "They wouldn't believe me if I told them anyway…" I finish with a wry smile. As I continue healing Haku, something clatters to the floor. When I glance down, I see the ice lotus I gave him.

"You… kept it?" I ask, disbelief obvious in my voice. He smiles sadly at me.

"Something…told me to…" He breathes out. I glance at the ice lotus before crushing it and reverting it back to water. A strong white glow envelopes the water before I use it to heal the deepest part of Haku's wounds. His body glows lightly for a moment before he snaps his eyes towards me.

"Huh…You might not die just yet…" I trail off as I feel my energy sapping away from me. I glance at his wound and see most of it had healed at an impossible rate even with chakra. But even with the new layers of cells, only the upper layers of the skin were sealed and healed. His wound was still in need of medical treatment, but he was no longer on the line between life and death. 'Heh… guess that old geezer was right. Saturating chakra into water can exponentially boost healing with a price…whatever that is.' I slightly shake my head in an attempt to clear my vision. Haku's face becomes distorted in my sight as I feel myself shaking. 'That old geezer… who knew that memory would actually be worth something…' I trail off in thought as I glance back down at Haku with a pained smile. 'He's lucky he had that with him…' He gingerly sits up, noticing the clotted wound before flinching and grasping his chest in pain.

"You shouldn't move too much… my healing… it's not that developed so you'll still feel a lot of pain." I mumble before coughing.

"Why? I tried to…kill you…" He asks.

"Ahh… the age old question." I slightly grimace as the pain increase, feeling something clawing out my insides, but continue anyway, "…You remind me so much of myself…I didn't want to see you suffer. I know you need him. He needs you as well." I state with a small smile, attempting but failing to hide the pain on my face. The clawing appears to stop but the pain doesn't ebb away. A small smile enters his face before his eyes become downcast at the sight of the fresh blood on my hand.

"That blood…" Haku trails off as he sees a small trail of blood on the corner of my lips. His eyes slightly furrow in thought.

"A side effect… for being a baka." I chuckle out before feeling a pair of arms circling my form. My eyes widen at the action before confusion takes over.

"You're strange…" His voice trails off. "You would do this for an enemy…"

"You're not... my enemy."

"You-" Before he could continue, another voice rings out.

"Looks like you got beaten pretty badly. I'm disappointed in you, Zabuza." Haku's form stiffens at the voice as his grip on me slightly slackens.

"Gatoh …why are you here?" Zabuza asks. "And what's with those subordinates?"

I turn around and see a man with an army of ninja standing menacingly behind him.

"We had a little change in plans." Gatoh taps his walking stick on the ground. "I'm sorry Zabuza, but you're going to die here."

"Zabuza-san…" Haku struggles to get up, only to gasp in pain as the wound on his chest begins to open. I snap my gaze towards Haku's face as I notice him attempting to stand again. Blood leaks out from his chest.

"You can't help him in your condition." I warn. "If you move too much, you'll open the wound and … you'll die."

He looks at me blankly before glancing up at Gatoh who was only several feet away from us.

"If I have to, I will. Please understand." Haku mutters; his eyes were still trained on the man slowly approaching us.

"If I rented official ninja, it would cost a lot of money, so I rented an exile ninja like you. If you ninja had just killed each other, it would have saved me trouble and money. And you call yourself the Demon of the Village Hidden in the Mist? You're just a cute devil if you ask me." Gatoh begins to laugh and so do the rest of the people behind him.

"Kakashi, I'm sorry but the battle ends here. Since I don't have a reason to kill Tazuna, I have no reason to fight you." Zabuza states as he sends a glare towards Gatoh.

"Yeah, you're right." Kaka-sensei answers as he switches his gaze towards the crowd of ninja.

Gatoh approaches Haku and me, a pleased smirk adorning his face. All of my limbs were aching and screaming for me to stop as I try to move in front of Haku, only to have him to use him arm to stop me before sending a glare at Gatoh. Haku's body was in no better shape than mine, but he still positioned himself so that he was blocking me from Gatoh's view. It wasn't long before said bastard was several feet away from us.

'Men and their chivalry…' I eye Haku's tensed form, 'This isn't the time for that. He needs to get out of here.' I glance around to see if there were any possible escape routes, but Gatoh's paid cronies were slowly inching around us, cutting off most of our escape options. Kaka-sensei's glare intensifies as Gatoh stood before us.

"Oh yes, I owe this guy a favor…for gripping my hand until it broke." Gatoh takes another step towards us but shifts his gaze to mine. "Well, what do we have here…a bitch perhaps?" An amused smirk enters his eyes as Haku shifts himself in front of me. "So you were the one who saved him… I couldn't see much from the mist but it seems with that ability of yours, you'd fetch quite the price." He makes a move towards me, only to have his hand trapped in Haku's grip.

"Don't lay your filthy hands on her." Cracking bone could be heard as a cry of pain escapes Gatoh as he stumbles back, clutching onto his once uninjured hand.

"Don't joke around brat!" Haku stumbles back once Gatoh's cane makes contact with his open wound. "Who's on top now huh?" He digs his cane further into the wound as more blood dribbles out from the wound. A grunt of pain escapes him, but he does nothing to fight back; he couldn't.

'No..' My eyes widen as I see the blood pouring out of him. His eyes become clouded in that haze associated with death. Those glass-like eyes like oto-san's. He was dying… he would leave… just like everyone I cared about in the past and I would just watch… I would just watch. 'No..not again… not again!'

The cane snaps in half as I use whatever strength I had left to bend water tentacles to move Haku's body closer to Kaka-sensei and Zabuza. I see Haku slightly fighting against the binds holding him, but I don't release him until he was several feet in front of Zabuza.

"You…" Anger takes over Gatoh's eyes as he stalks towards me, "don't you interfere!" He roughly kicks my body to the ground before stomping on my side and stomach multiple times. I grit my teeth in pain, refusing to release any sounds of discomfort. The hits continue on.

'Just like the old days…' I thought to myself as the abuse continued. 'Was everything I did really worth it? Haku… he's dying and I-I can't save him… I couldn't save him… just like my clan… I just watched…'

A hard kick to my stomach knocks me back into reality as I cough out blood.

"Riku!" The voice causes me to glance over to see Naruto making a move over towards Gatoh, but Kaka-sensei stops him.

"Don't move so carelessly." Kaka-sensei warns. I could tell he was fighting with himself to stay where he was. The grip he held on Naruto tightens as the hits continue.

"Tch. You're just trash." He uses his foot to lift my chin so that I was gazing up to him. "You're not worth much are you? Where was that power of yours?"

I don't respond; I just spit on his shoe.

Irritation coats his eyes before he kicks me again in the stomach, sending me skidding across the bridge. 'For a filthy rich geezer that barely does anything physical, he sure hits hard.' I clutch my stomach in pain before glancing down at my hand to see blood. I hear an outburst from Naruto in the background, but I was too weak to look.

"Throw that trash over to where she belongs. They'll be joining her shortly." Gatoh waves over two ninja who roughly grab me and toss me over to Kaka-sensei. Before my body makes contact with the ground, a pair of arms catches me before lowering me to a sitting position. My breathing comes out in ragged pants as I crack my eyes open to see Kaka-sensei's worried expression. He clears away the stray bangs covering my face as a look of guilt enters his expression. I shake my head at him, hoping he would understand he couldn't have done anything to prevent this.

"Riku!" Naruto yells as he comes over to me. He hugs me, causing me to wince in pain, before letting go to examine my injuries; his eyes zero in on the large blood stains on my clothes. Panic flashes through his eyes as he tightens his hold. Jumbled apologies and threats towards Gatoh were made, causing me to slightly smile.

"Naru…" I croak out. "I'll be..fine.." Water crawls along my arms and legs before the healing process slowly begins. Pain continues to flood my body, but the bleeding slowly stops.

"Riku…you're safe now…" Kaka-sensei mutters before patting my head.

"What about Haku?"

Kaka-sensei's expression falls as he glances over to the left. Following his gaze, I see Zabuza watching Haku struggling to hang on.

Naruto's grip on my body slackens as his gaze turns towards the pair, "Why don't you say something? He was on your side right?" Naruto yells as he glares at Zabuza's back.

"Shut up." Zabuza states.

"You don't feel anything for him? You were with him a long time right?" Naruto's expression softens.

"Like how Gatoh used me, I was also using Haku. I said this before. We ninja are just tools. I wanted his abilities, not him. I have no regrets." Zabuza answers. His words sounded forced. It seemed as if he was trying to lie to himself. I shift my body so that I was facing the pair, fighting against the pain my body made in protest for the sudden movement before leaning against Naruto as support. Worry coats his eyes as he glances down at the blood stains coating my body. He wasn't used to seeing me so vulnerable and I think it unnerved him.

"Do you really mean that?" I ask looking at Zabuza. He still doesn't turn back. "You don't realize how much Haku means to you. You were his most precious person. He's still alive, but barely. Why won't you say something to him before it's too late?" My expression falls slightly. "He… he still wanted to die for you even though I saved him. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Riku…" Naruto's softens when he notices the desperation in my voice before closing his eyes and addressing Zabuza once again. "Why won't you realize how important he is to you? If he cares that much about you… if he wanted to risk everything for you… don't you, don't you feel the same?" Naruto pushes as desperation ignites in the depths of his azure orbs.

"Stop it Naruto. Riku. We don't have to fight him anymore. Besides…" Kaka-sensei trails off as he looks away.

"Shut up! He's still my enemy! He…he really liked you! He really, really liked you! And you don't think anything of him? Do you really …really not think anything of him? When a person becomes as strong as you, do they start to think like that…? He..he sacrificed his life for you! He couldn't even see his own dream…" Naruto states through his tears. I place a comforting hand on Naruto's hand but it seems he didn't notice. His tears continue to stream down his face as his hold on me tightens as if to reassure himself that I was still there. My gaze slightly softens as I allow my bangs to cover my eyes. 'This…this means more to him than what appears… he wants to believe that people can form strong relationships… that people can care selflessly for others and vise versa… What he's seeing now… he doesn't want to accept it as a possibility for what will happen between us when we grow stronger… He doesn't want me to be in Haku's place and he in Zabuza's. He doesn't want me to risk everything for him and for him to feel no remorse for my death…He doesn't want to lose me…he's afraid of losing me.' A slight jolt appears in my chest. 'I think I … understand now…'

"Dying as a tool is just… too painful…" I grip my chest as I stare at Zabuza's back. "You feel the same way don't you?" I continue.

*drip*drip*

My gaze switches to the ground near Zabuza's feet. 'Is that water?'

Zabuza finally turns around to face us; tears were streaming down his face.

"… Don't say anymore…Haku…not only did he hurt his heart to fight for me, but he hurt his heart for you guys. I know. He was too kind. I'm glad we were able to fight you two as our final opponents."

He removes the bandages from his mouth as he looks towards Haku. Haku glances our way and smiles. His breathing stops, but his face retains the smile. Zabuza glances back at us.

"Oh yes…kid, it was just like you said. Ninjas are human too. They might not be able to become a tool without emotions. I lose. Hey, give me your kunai."

Naruto sadly smiles and grabs his last kunai from his holster, throwing it into the air above Zabuza. Before the kunai could touch the ground, Zabuza catches it in his mouth and rushes towards the group of ninja. At this point, my body was starting to shut down again. Everything was blurring together as I feel the darkness calling in the back of my mind. I allow my eyes to close and I could hear cries of pain in the background.

"Riku… oi, stay with me here!" Naruto exclaims as I feel my body being shaken.

"Naruto…Kaka-sensei…Sasuke is still alive…don't want to forget to tell you…" I mutter out, still not opening my eyes. I felt like I was fading in and out. Was I still awake?

I hear Sakura crying Sasuke's name in the background. I open my eyes before glancing to the side to see Sasuke and Sakura waving at us from behind. I catch Sasuke's gaze and slightly smile at him, only to receive an unreadable one in response. His brows were furrowed and it seemed he was having some sort of internal war, but I couldn't exactly tell seeing as he was becoming a blurry blob in my vision. Besides, this wasn't the time to celebrate. We still had some company we had to deal with.

"Damn ninja, you killed our source of revenue!" One ninja yelled. "Now we have to attack the town and steal all the valuables."

"This isn't good…" Kaka-sensei states as he stands in front of Naruto and me.

"Kakashi-sensei, don't you have a technique that can just beat them all at once?" Naruto asks as he tightens his hold on me once again.

"No, I've used up too much chakra." Kaka-sensei mutters bitterly as he gazes at the group of angry ninja. I slightly narrow my eyes at the crowd before remembering the conversation I had with Inari, causing me to let out a dry chuckle.

"Then we just need a mob... of our own."

They send me incredulous looks, probably thinking I was insane or delirious from blood loss at the moment. I merely chuckle and tell them to watch the show. The army of ninja start charging towards up, but quickly halt their stampede once they notice an arrow coming towards them. We all look back to see the source of the arrow to find Inari and the rest of the villagers ready to defend their home.

"I knew you could…Inari…" I mutter to myself.

Seeing as he wanted to get in on the action, Naruto produces fifty or so shadow clones. Not wanting to be outdone by Naruto, Kaka-sensei produces the same amount as a bluff to scare of the rest of the ninja. It works and the ninjas flee towards the boats.

"Cowards…" I mutter.

Kaka-sensei sends me an eye smile before helping me stand. Naruto swings one of my arms over his shoulders while holding my waist to support my body.

"Are you alright Riku?" Naruto asks. I look into his eyes to see that he was genuinely concerned and some other emotion I couldn't quite figure out.

"I'll live. Arigato Naru-kun." I state with a smirk. I thought I saw him blush slightly, but I couldn't trust my eyesight at this point. Black specks were already appearing in my vision. I look over to my left and see Kaka-sensei carrying Zabuza's body over to Haku as snow begins to fall from the sky.

"Haku…" I mutter out, sadness leaking into my voice.

I watch as Zabuza says his final words to Haku.

"If possible…I want to go to the same place you're going to…" Zabuza breathes out as he touches Haku's face.

At that moment, the sun breaks through the clouds and warms the whole area. It seemed as if Haku heard his comment, since a tear escaped one of his closed eyes.

I glance over at Naruto to see tears streaming down his face. I slightly bump his head with mine, letting me know I was there for him. He glances at my face with a sad smile before wiping my face to show that I was crying as well. We both let out a small, sad laugh before glancing over at the two fallen figures.

"He…he was born in a village where a lot of snow fell." Naruto stammers out.

"Is that a fact? He was pure white like the snow." Kaka-sensei states.

"They will end up in the same place…I know it…" I say to myself. For some reason, I felt content. With everything that happened… I felt happy or something… I wasn't sure what… it felt like I fulfilled something. Whatever that's supposed to mean. Again, what did I know? I was already ditsy from blood loss so this could all be meaningless garbles of an insane girl. Again, who's to judge what I feel?

**{~}**

~At the grave site~

Sunset had already approached by the time we finished burying Zabuza and Haku. Each had fresh flowers and mementos. All of us had already been treated and were now watching the sunset. Bandages were wrapped around my torso and arms whereas the others had little bandages scattered around the arms or legs. I slightly grip my side as a jolt of pain travels through my body before lowering my hand to my gourd. Water streams out before slowly wrapping around the graves, forming the shape of swaying flowers and vines before solidifying in the dirt. My chakra courses through the ice figures, maintaining the ice's structure until another chakra source disrupts them. We all silently gaze at the graves before a voice breaks us out of the silence.

"Ne Kakashi-sensei. Does a ninja really have to be the way they said a ninja should be?" Sakura asks as she looks as Zabuza and Haku's graves.

"Ninja are not supposed to seek their reason to exist." Kaka-sensei states. "It's important that they exist as a tool. That idea exists in Konoha too."

Sakura walks away from the grave.

"Does becoming a real ninja really mean that?" Naruto asks. "I …kind of… don't like that."

"No, a ninja shouldn't think that way." I answer, earning some surprised looks for the blunt answer. "When you throw away your emotions, you lose a sense of attachment to living. You forget what you fight for. When you face someone who would do anything to protect someone…" I trail off as the images of my parents flash across my eyes," The person who has someone or something to protect… they have a reason to keep living whereas the other… just fades away. People should only become strong when they protect someone they care about." I finish as I look away from the others. 'But ultimately… when it comes down to it, we don't live in a perfect world. There will be others who have grown strong for their own selfish reasons… to destroy others, to relish in the pain they inflict on the weak… to obtain more power… Those people exist as well. But I just have to get stronger to make sure those people won't hurt those who I care about. It's that simple…'

It didn't take long for someone else to break the silence.

"Do you think so too?" Sasuke questions Kaka-sensei.

Kaka-sensei glances down at Sasuke before facing the setting sun once again. "Well, I believe ninjas become strong when they protect someone they care about the most. But as for ninjas being tools I'd have to say no. That's why ninja unconsciously suffer from that idea. Like Zabuza and that boy..." Kaka-sensei trails off before placing a hand on my shoulder. "and Riku."

"Eh?" Disbelief could be seen across Sakura's face as she eyes me skeptically. A saddened look enters Naruto's face as he tries to glance away while Sasuke was openly staring.

*tick mark* 'You did that on purpose…' I thought to myself as I sent a glare towards my sensei, only to receive a sympathetic look in return. It was as if he was telling me it was better to let them know now than later. Great. (Note the sarcasm.)

I glance around the others and see their questioning stares. *sigh* 'Better get this over with.'

In an attempt to stall, I glance towards the sunset before answering, "I'll say this only once and you all might not agree with me. But I don't care." I pause. "I'm a monster. I was always seen as one for long as I could remember. There was never any real reason for that, well not that I could think of. People were just afraid of me… hated me… wanted me dead. I remember my oka-san telling me it was because I acquired a special ability in the Amarante clan. It's the berserker state you all saw me in the first time we went against Zabuza. What you saw then was nothing compared to what could have happened. I could have killed you all in cold blood and not even realize it." I answer with a hint of bitterness in my voice. A horrified look crosses Sakura's face, causing me to glance away once again. "Several years ago, they found out my emotions triggered that little 'kink,' so I was taught to lock away my emotions. It made sense. If I didn't feel anything… if I couldn't react, if I didn't have emotions, then there was nothing to trigger that state other than chakra depletion. The mental aspect was taken away. All I had to do was get stronger physically. I was safe inside my head." I pointed to my temple as I tilted my head to look at the others but not really seeing them. I saw the shadowed figures of those who locked away my emotions – the creators of my persona. My hand falls to my side. "I was safe. I couldn't hurt anyone by accident anymore and no one could hurt me anymore. No matter what abuse I went through; it wouldn't matter. I felt nothing. I was the perfect tool." A sad smile enters my face. Naruto's hands clench at his sides but he says nothing. Kaka-sensei stares at me unusually calm form as I shift my attention to the others. Something akin to worry was etched across Sakura's face as she gazes towards Sasuke, possibly in an attempt to calm herself down? As for Sasuke, his expression was cold.

"They wanted to use me… someone who had no emotions… the perfect puppet for them. But they were wrong." A wry smile enters my face, "I cracked. Their so called perfect tool was not so perfect. I was still human and they soon realized it." I stop myself, not wanting to admit the whole truth to my comrades just yet. No one appears to catch it, so I move on. "Lives did not matter to me. I believed people were merely pieces in my game. They were expendable, short-lived. But… there was one piece I had to keep safe… one piece that mattered to me… that piece was Naruto. When I saw him again after the massacre, I wanted to help him. He was just like me. Alone. Hated. Hurt. After that, things changed." My voice trails off as a sad smile enters my face. "Naruto… I could never see him as just a piece in my game… he meant more to me than that. As I spent more time with him, I started seeing people as fragile yet durable pieces…a paradox yes but… they held significance… I couldn't play the game anymore. Around this time, I was with Ibiki again and then Anko. They saved me from my second prison."

As I glance toward the others, I see questioning looks sent my way. Releasing a sigh, I continue, "It wasn't well-known but after the massacre, Ojii-san arranged for Kaka-sensei and Ibiki to train me to control my berserker state." I answer with a shrug. "But things grew complicated… someone had …taken custody of my training instead… an old prune managed to get backing from the other elders so Ojii-san had his hands tied for the moment. What I went through… was probably similar to what Zabuza went through until Ojii-san found a loophole and I was set free. Kaka-sensei disappeared some time after and that's when psycho-sensei came in and helped Ibiki with my training." I trail off as a solemn mood appears to blanket the area.

"I don't understand…"

I glance back to see Sakura staring at me with furrowed brows.

"How could they put you through something like that? It's not …right. And I know you were hurt and hated, but … how could you treat people as pieces in a game?" Sakura trails off. "And the reason you dressed up as a guy… it was related to this somehow right?"

I slightly smile at the last question before answering, "Nothing is perfect. This world is not black or white. It's in shades of gray. With that in mind, understand that our village is no exception. I guess you can say… they were merely protecting themselves from a monster they saw and didn't realize who the true monster or should I say monsters were. You saw how I was treated and how Naruto was treated in the village. Does it really come as that much of a surprise to you?"

Sakura's gaze slightly falters.

"But… never once have you participated in that cruelty towards us… so arigato, Sakura. You don't know how much that means to me. I know you were still afraid of me, but you still approached me and tried to get to know me." I add with a small smile, causing Sakura to widen her eyes. "It might have been because you had an innate crush on me at the time …oh and by the way, I don't swing that way." I finish with a smirk, causing Sakura to slightly fume.

"You jerk! You just had to go and ruin it didn't you!" Sakura fumes before shaking her head.

"Ahh… of course. I wouldn't be me if I didn't, now would I?" I answer back with a careless shrug, silently happy I eliminated to tense atmosphere.

"You didn't answer the other questions." Sasuke reminds. 'Damn…here comes the tense atmosphere…'

"Ahh… almost forgot." I bite out. "Well, how would you survive if you knew everyone you cared about died in an instant? To be honest, I was traumatized but I never showed it. I knew I couldn't bring them back, but that pain is not something you can sympathize with and claim to understand. It eats away at you, slowly taking away your sanity. When I realized that, I tried to stay sane, so I treated… people as pieces in my game… I had to detach myself. It makes losses smaller, so even if you lose someone, it won't hurt. It was a cowardly move to protect myself but it was my strength and I don't think I can change that thought process anytime soon. It's a part of me so you're just going to have to accept it. Besides, things are… different."

A saddened look enters Sakura's face as she glances away from my gaze, slightly mulling over her thoughts. Sasuke doesn't say anything, merely closing his eyes. Kaka-sensei slightly smiles at me before glancing back at the sunset. Lastly, my eyes land on Naruto. His eyes were shadowed by his hair and his fists were clenched. Reading the signs, I slightly sag my shoulders and glance away before feeling an arm drape over my shoulders.

"All right. I've decided! I'm going to follow my own ninja way. I'm going to run straight down the path where I'm not going to regret anything!" Naruto proclaims before facing me. "And I'm not going to let you out of my sight. Who know when you'll get in trouble on your own again." He ruffles my hair, causing me to playfully swat at the offending hand. "We always got in trouble together, so why stop that now?" He finishes with his trademark grin.

"Ahh… so true. We'll always be a team won't we?" I ask with a smirk as I drape an arm around his shoulder, causing a grin to appear on his face. "You finally opened up." Naruto whispers with cheeky grin before he bumps his forehead on mine, causing a slight smile to enter my face.

'Guess we all are growing up.'

As everyone makes their way to leave, I trail behind before walking back up to Haku's grave.

**{~}**

**(Third person perspective)**

Kakashi glances back, noticing Riku staring at Haku's grave. A calm smile enters the girl's face as she continues to speak to the grave as if she were talking to Haku in person, causing a sad smile to creep along Kakashi's face as he hears the words escaping from his student.

"Haku…arigato…for everything. I'm glad I met you. I promise I will protect those precious to me. But at the same time…I realize I need others to help me…I can't do things on my own anymore…"

Kakashi glances towards the three genins waiting several feet away for their last teammate. They all appeared to be absorbed in their own thoughts before shifting back to their usual behaviors: Sakura staring at Sasuke with adoration, Naruto glaring and bickering with Sasuke, and Sasuke riling up Naruto even more. It wasn't long before anger flitters across Sakura's face at Naruto's behavior, resulting in said blonde to rub the back of his head. Shifting his eyes back to his blue-haired student, he notices a ring held delicately in her two fingers. It was a simple clear band with an ice lotus. Confusion flashes through her eyes as she gazes at the ring before she gives a soft smile.

"Arigato… Haku… this is good-bye."

The soft words trail out of Riku's lips before she strings the ring on her chain.

"C'mon Riku! I want to tell Iruka-sensei of my great adventure while he treats me to ramen!" Naruto exclaims, causing Riku to let out a small laugh.

"Hai. Hai." Riku calls back carelessly before the wind around her picks up, blowing her bangs over her face.

'I finally get to say my final goodbye…arigato…Riku.'

The wind dies down as Riku stares back at the grave in confusion. It wasn't long before Naruto calls back to her once again, causing her to dismiss the words as her imagination, not noticing the flickering white glow coming from the lotus as she rejoins the others.

**{~}**

~At the bridge~

"We've completed the bridge thanks to you, but we're going to miss you." Tazuna states as a sincere smile enters his face.

"Be well." Tsunami adds with a smile of her own.

"Arigato for everything." Kaka-sensei states with an eye smile.

"Now, now, old man Tazuna, we'll visit you again one day." Naruto says with a cheeky grin.

"Promise?" Inari pleads, fighting the tears already welling in his eyes.

"Inari…you're going to get lonely, aren't you? You can cry you know…" Naruto states, fighting against his own tears.

"I'm not going to cry! You can cry too, Naruto."

"Is that so…" Naruto mutters.

'They're both so stubborn…' I thought with a sigh.

"Ahh… you two can just cry now… it'll make things go a lot faster." I state with a smirk, causing both boys to stiffen for getting caught.

Naruto quickly turns around and says good-bye to Inari before robotically walking forward with tears streaming down his face, not once looking back to see the tears pouring down Inari's face as well.

"You're too stubborn for your own good Naruto." I mutter as I pat his head. He continues to cry as we walk away.

"Take care Inari. I'm sure we'll see each other again." I call back with a smile. "When we see each other again, be someone to be proud of alright?"

He nods in reply through his tears. "Riku! You better come back as well ok? If you don't, I won't forgive you!" Inari calls out as more tears stream down his face. A small laugh escapes my lips at the contradiction between his words and his facial expression, but I nod in reply before facing forward once again. I hear Tazuna discussing the name of the bridge and can't help but laugh when they decided to name it after Naruto.

"What's so funny?" Kaka-sensei asks with a quirked brow.

"Nothing you need to worry about. Just who they named this bridge after." I state with a smirk.

Everyone sends me questioning looks but I refused to give them an answer.

"Alright! Once I get home, I'm going to have Iruka-sensei treat me to ramen to celebrate the completion of this mission." Naruto cheers with a fist pump. "Also, I'm going to make Konohamaru listen to my tale of bravery." Excitement and anticipation burns in his eyes as the words leave his lips.

I slightly chuckle at Naruto's antics.

"Then I'll…Hey, Sasuke-kun, do you want to go on a date once we return to the village?" Sakura asks with pink-tinted cheeks.

"No. I decline." Sasuke deadpans.

"Ouch… way to be subtle." I comment sarcastically. As the words register in Sakura's head, she falls back from the group as a small storm cloud hovers over her head. Naruto falls back as well and tells her that he wouldn't mind going on a date with her, only to receive a punch in response.

*sigh*

'Naruto… you are such a newbie when it comes to girls…You've fallen pretty hard for Sakura… I don't see why though… but as long as you're happy then it's fine. I just hope she won't do anything that will hurt you in the long run… you don't deserve that.'

"Are you alright to travel now?" Sasuke asks as he walks next to me.

I blink several times as I process the question before responding with a thoughtful expression. "Yeah. I just went a little overboard during that fight. Nothing too serious." I wave off.

"Right…" Sasuke scoffs as he sends me a look that says 'bull.'

"Ahh… I'm still alive aren't I? I wasn't the one who was in a temporary state of death." I add with a shrug.

"Who do you think I did that for?" Sasuke counters with a smirk.

I stifle a snort. "Ahh… I could have taken care of myself." I state with a huff.

"Hn. You're too stubborn." I try to respond, only to stop myself as he continues. "You're still the same after all these years…" He mutters with a smirk.

A slight smile enters my face before annoyance takes over. "Gomen ne, but I'm not some damsel in distress. I'm not that cliché."

"Hn. Could have fooled me." My eye twitches in annoyance at his words, but for some reason, I didn't mind it as much as I would have thought.

"Hate to break you two up, but Riku what are you going to do when we get back? Not everyone knows you're a girl." Kaka-sensei states with an eye smile.

My eyes widen in realization. 'Damn it. I completely forgot about that.'

"Well, I can run into my apartment and change back into my…." I trail off when I see the look etched upon Kaka-sensei's face. His face had the presence of pure sadism while still maintaining a fake pleasantness.

"But Riku, didn't you have a bet with the Hokage. You're stuck like that now." Kaka-sensei chuckles.

"Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him… or well in this case anyway." I state while crossing my arms.

"You can't keep hiding. You wanted everyone to know the real you, so why hesitate now?" Kaka-sensei asks while patting my head.

*sigh*

"Ahh… guess I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do when I get back." I sigh out.

'Psycho-sensei isn't going to let me hear the end of it when she finds out about the mission… I don't feel like dying any time soon…' I thought with a slight grimace.

"Don't worry. I'm sure everyone will be surprised." Naruto stares with patting my back.

'When did he get back here?' I thought as I hide the surprise from my face.

"That's to be expected." I add with a slight shrug, "I just hope this doesn't change much… but then again, it might be fun."

"You're still the same person." Sakura comments dryly. "I don't think people will see you differently… they'll just see you as a girl now. You're still you."

I simply stare at her.

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asks.

"No… I just didn't expect you to say that. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me." I state while rubbing the back of my head.

"No you're right. I … guess I disliked you because of my own reasons. You just seem… cold at times and appeared to be apathetic towards others… but when I heard about what you went through… and spent some time thinking…" Sakura states hesitantly. "… I was wrong… you're still a bit …off but you're not someone I could hate."

I slightly smirk. "I see." A small smile dominates my face as I match Sakura's gaze. "Why don't we start being friends…as well as rivals?"

Relief floods through her face before a determined look enters her eyes. "Of course."

As we continued walking, I couldn't help but notice how different the team dynamics have shifted since the start of the mission. We started separated, grouped into our own worlds before our worlds were forcibly shattered and joined together by a common enemy. We resisted, fought, strained the boundaries keeping us together but ultimately, we were able to see each other as teammates. It was funny how one mission could change us so much.

'To think I would finally make a female friend other than psycho-sensei… if you can even call her a friend… Maybe Sakura might be good for me…'

"So Riku… are you interested in anyone?" Sakura whispers to me, curiosity leaking through every inch of her face.

*sweatdrop*

'…How am I even supposed to answer that?' Maybe spending time with another girl might not be such a good idea… psycho-sensei might be more than enough…'

**{~}**

~Village Hidden in the Leaves~

**(Third person perspective)**

After team seven reaches the village, everyone decides to go their separate ways. Sasuke left to go training, while Naruto went off to find Iruka-sensei. Sakura had already left, saying she had to go home. Riku and Kakashi decided to go to the Hokage to give a report on the mission.

~At the Hokage tower~

"Riku…it seems Naruto found out?"

The Hokage sat at his desk as a cheerful expression dominates his face.

Riku nods. "So I guess this means I'll have to reintroduce myself as a girl now?" Riku asks, earning a nod in reply.

"Yes, that would be best. However, while you were away, I already revealed your gender to some of the other jounin. They were pleasantly surprised. I hope you don't mind." He leans his elbows on the desk and folds his hands under his chin.

"Not at all. At least I can save the introductions." Riku waves off, "Guess they told the other genin?"

"Well…mostly Anko revealed it….you should know what that means…" He starts chuckling.

Riku smacks her forehead. "You seriously don't mean ….ugh…never mind… well I guess I have to thank you. You were right. Naruto didn't see me any differently, but he still doesn't really see me as who I really am… I think." Riku finishes as she furrows her brows in confusion.

"He's still young. It takes time for things to develop. But I'm glad everything has worked out. I heard that you recovered some of your memories. It seems it will be only a matter of time before they all return." He states before smoking his pipe. 'It's only a matter of time…'

"Ahh.. guess you were right about that too. Hmm…Ojii-san…arigato…for everything you have done for me. I don't know what I would do if you weren't there."

With that Riku leaves the room. As he watches her retreating figure, the Hokage wonders what had caused her to say something like that. Although Riku had grown up to be a polite child to an extent, she had never expressed her gratitude towards him in such a manner.

"Did something happen on the mission to change her?" He mutters out as he strokes his chin in thought. Releasing a small grimace, he glances towards the menacingly large stack of papers needed to be signed and approved.

"If only paperwork can do itself…" He trails off with a large sigh.

**{~}**

~Time skip: several days later~

**(First person perspective)**

Several days have passed since we came back from the Land Hidden in the Waves. Things have been interesting, but our teamwork seemed to be getting worse and worse. Naruto has been more reckless and keeps trying to out stage Sasuke, causing more problems for us….or rather comic relief at Naruto's expense.

Sakura and I have started to get along better, but she seemed worried I might steal Sasuke away from her. That issue has yet to be resolved between the two of us.

There were rare moments where Sasuke and I would train together, but recently, I would find him spacing out during these sessions. At first I dismissed it as nothing, but as the blank look continued to appear in his eyes, I grew worried. Sasuke isn't the type of person to space out, but when I asked, he said nothing was wrong. I could have been reading too much into it, but something told me I wasn't.

As for Naruto… it's complicated. At first he would spend as much time as he possibly could with me, just like old times. Then there were times where he wouldn't speak to me for days. It was puzzling, but I just assumed he had a lot on his mind. As more time passed, it seemed he was keener on spending time with Sakura and although I could understand why, I felt like I was being forgotten. I know Naruto wasn't the type of person to forget about his friends so easily, but I couldn't understand why I was getting so worked up.

During those times, I would hang out with Shika to watch the clouds float by. We rarely exchanged words - just enjoyed each other's company in silence, but lately he's been watching me more than usual and would actually ask what was bothering me. It was odd, seeing as Shika isn't the type of person to engage in small talk or delve into other's problems.

'Things are changing… but I don't want to move on… why do I feel so… anxious? I don't like this feeling.'

"Something on your mind?" I feel a hand on my shoulder, causing me to break out of my thoughts, "You haven't said a thing this whole day." Kaka-sensei asks, worry lacing his visible eye.

I glance around and see everyone else was looking in my direction. Even Naruto had stopped arguing with Sasuke.

"Ahh.. it's nothing. I was just thinking." I mutter to myself as I look down.

"About?" Kaka-sensei prods.

"How things are changing." I answer simply before glancing up to see a hawk circling around us. "Looks like you have to go Kaka-sensei."

He looks down at me and pats me head. "I guess so. Don't think too much about it. I'm sure things will be fine." He whispers.

"Shall we call it quits for today? I have to go submit the mission report now." Kaka-sensei calls out to everyone before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Then I'm going home." Sasuke states as he starts walking away.

"Ne Sasuke-kun, wait! Hey, um, how does strengthening our teamwork now sound?" Sakura asks with a slight blush.

I glance at Naruto to see the obvious disappointment in his eyes as he gazes at Sakura. I place a hand on his shoulder. "Ahh..It's alright Naruto. We can do something together." I state with a smile.

He smiles back. "Gomen Riku but I have to do something else, maybe next time." He runs towards Sakura with little concealed excitement as my hand slowly drops to my side. I gaze at the two, wondering what was happening to us. A slight pain enters my chest but I shrug it off as a linger side effect of the incident in the Land of Waves. Walking away from the scene, I notice a box with two eye holes following Naruto.

"You need to work on stealth Konohamaru." I state as I stand next to the crawling box. The box stops suddenly as I hear several confused whispers. It wasn't long before the box continues crawling away, not once addressing my presence.

'Guess he doesn't recognize me anymore.'

I continue to walk away from the group and allowed my feet to carry me through the empty streets. All the stores were closed and it seemed as if it was deserted. 'How odd…'

"You're going to run into a pole at this rate."

I blink in confusion before glancing up to a pole several inches in front of my face. 'Seriously...' I sweat drop before allowing a smirk to enter my face as I turn to face Sasuke.

"I never took you for a stalker Sasu-chan." I call before turning around to face Sasuke. He didn't look amused.

"Hn."

*sigh*

'He's still the same as when we were kids…he knows I'll tell him if he keeps staring at me…'

"Alright… stop staring… I'm just confused with everything. It's been a while since I've had free reign over my emotions and I don't quite understand them. Some of the things I feel don't make any sense…" I look away. "I know it's a bit silly, but that's not the only thing…" I trail off as I see Sasuke give me a look that said 'Spit it out.'

"I haven't been back there." His eyebrows furrow in confusion. "I still haven't set foot into the compound… it's been what… years? I haven't paid my respects yet… not correctly anyway. That place… it should have been destroyed…" I trail off as my expression goes blank as several scenes flash through my mind. The beatings. The garden. Oka-san. Oto-san. Several shadowed figures. Bright crimson eyes.

"That place… holds too many painful memories… most of which I have lost. I don't want to go back there but I know I will have to eventually." I sigh out.

"Is that it?" Sasuke mutters out bored as he stuffs his hands in his pockets. "You don't have to go back until you're ready. As for emotions…" He trails off as a smirk appears on his face, "As long as you don't become a squealing fangirl, I'd say you're fine. You don't have to completely understand them. Besides, don't you like puzzles?"

A small smile makes its way onto my face. "Ahh… so true."

The next question throws me for a loop.

"What am I to you?"

I blink several times to make sure I heard correctly. 'That was…a blunt question… not something he would normally ask though…'

"You're someone precious to me." I answer honestly, "You've changed since we were kids… but I know it's you. You still care…even though you try not to show it Mr.I'm-too-cool-for-emotions." I finish with air quotes. He slightly shakes his head as he scoffs at the nickname I gave him.

"What brought this on?" I ask.

A smirk adorns his face. "Hn."

'Translation: Not telling.'

I roll my eyes. "You know, you shouldn't keep everything in either. If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me." I state with a small smile.

He smirks in response. "I know."

"Well…we better go find Naruto…I think he's gotten himself into trouble by now." I state absently as I rub the back of my head.

Sasuke nods in agreement and jumps away to find Naruto. I watch Sasuke's retreating figure before shaking out of my thoughts.

**{~}**

~With Naruto~

By the time I find Naruto, I see Konohamaru being lifted off ground by a sand ninja wearing a black outfit with what looked like cat ears on top of his hood. Purple face paint covered his face.

"Gomenasai, I was joking around, so…" Sakura apologizes.

"Hey, let go of him!" Naruto yells.

'Guess he didn't notice me yet…good.' I thought as I lean against the side of the fence.

Konohamaru kicks the ninja in an attempt to break free, only to irritate the sand ninja further as he tightens his hold on Konohamaru's scarf. A gasp of pain escapes Konohamaru as he ceases his struggles.

"Why you…" Naruto growls out before charging head first at the boy, only to fall backwards as the sand ninja moves one of the fingers of his free hand.

'A chakra string? Hmm... could he be a puppet user?' I narrow my eyes as I concentrate on the water molecules surrounding the chakra string.

"Konoha's genin are weak." The boy scoffs.

As the statement leaves his lips, the chakra string snaps before water spikes aim at his hand, causing him to release his hold on Konohamaru.

"What? Is this water?" He cries out in surprise as he steadies his footing before glancing around. "Alright, come out." I don't respond. "Fine then." A smirk appears on his face before he turns back to the still-disoriented Konohamaru.

Before he can grab Konohamaru, I bend a water whip around his wrist, halting him in his tracts. He glances at the water curiously before eyeing me with a smirk.

"About time you came out." He mutters as Konohamaru scampers back to the others.

"Konohamaru!" An unfamiliar girl calls out to him as she helps him stand up.

"It's always the annoying ones." He sneers before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Ah..." I disperse the water as I glance around for the black-clad ninja.

"Riku, behind!" Naruto warns. Heeding his warning, I twist around to strike the figure behind me, only for him to grab my wrist in a tight hold.

"Another annoying ninja?" The black-clad sand ninja mutters out in contempt. "And a girl at that. Didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders?"

I stare at him blankly. "Yes, but I only see a child."

*tickmark* "Tch. This is why I hate kids." His grip on my wrist tightens as I hear the bone slightly creaking from the force. "All talk and no bark."

I narrow my eyes. "Let go."

"Why? I just want to break you." He states back. His grip tightens even further, causing me to wince.

"Fine. You want to play rough? Let's play." I smirk.

"This isn't good..." Naruto mumbles in the background.

"Of course it isn't baka!" Sakura scolds. "She doesn't stand a chance against him."

"I'm more afraid for him..." He lets out a sigh. "Whenever she's like that, there's no telling what she'll do."

I let out a dark chuckle at Naruto's words. 'True but not this time.'

"I'm not going to be responsible for what happens…" The blonde sand nin states as she place a hand over her face.

The water from my gourd wraps around his hand and starts crawling up his arm.

"What is this?" He lets go when the water attempts to cleave his hand off from my wrist.

"Water." I answer blandly as I watch the water fully encase his arm before freezing over. He lets out a cry when the ice constricts his arm, popping his elbow.

"What did you do?!" He lifts me up by my throat, but I merely smirk. "A courtesy call. It's what you did to me, right?"

"You…" He moves his hand back to punch me.

"Riku!" Naruto calls out to me as he charges at the sand ninja once again.

"Get out of there!" Sakura exclaims.

"It's fine." I call back calmly, only to infuriate the sand nin even more.

Before his fist connects, a rock comes out of nowhere and hits his hand, making him release his hold on my throat. As I land, I quickly jump back towards Naruto and Sakura.

"Riku you're alright." Sakura states as relief leaks through her voice. I smile back at her in response and flash a peace sign.

"Ah… guess so."

All of us look to the nearby tree to find Sasuke casually throwing a rock up and down. 'Great timing. Looks like I need to thank him later.'

"What do you think you're doing in our village?" Sasuke grounds out, anger obvious in his voice. The sand ninja glares at Sasuke before shaking his hand to ease the pain inflicted by the rock.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yells excitedly, causing Naruto to grumble.

"Get lost." Sasuke orders before crushing the rock in his hand into dust.

"He's so cool!" Sakura gushes, hands pressed against her face as she stares at Sasuke in adoration. I slightly grimace at Sakura's actions before glancing over to Sasuke.

"Still a show off ne?" I mutter to myself with a small smile.

"Naruto, you're not cool at all." Konohamaru states with a huff, causing Naruto to look slightly panicked as he approaches Konohamaru.

"I would have beaten that guy." Naruto states, trying to reassure Konohamaru.

"Liar." Konohamaru responds. He looks in my direction before a look of realization crosses his face.

'Hmm guess he recognizes me now?'

"You're that other guy… or er… girl…?" Konohamaru struggles with his words as he points a finger at me. I tilt my head to the side as I place a finger on the side of my face. "Hmm…I suppose. If you still want to beat me, you still have a ways to go." I finish with a smirk as a small blush trails across his face, probably from embarrassment. Before he could say something else, another voice interrupts.

"Hey come down here gaki. I hate kids like you who think they're so clever." The sand nin states as he takes a wrapped figure off his back.

"Hey, you're going to use Karasu?" The blond-haired ninja asks, apprehension lacing her words.

"Kankuro, stop."

We follow the voice to see a red-haired boy with a large gourd strapped to his back standing upside down on the branch left of Sasuke. Black rings encircled his eyes and judging from the headband, he was a sand ninja as well.

"You're a disgrace to our village." The boy states coldly, causing Kankuro to flinch.

"G..Gaara.." Kankuro stutters as he takes on a submissive stance.

I watch the two sand ninjas slightly recoil at the sight of him, not unlike the interaction between beta and alpha wolves. It was obvious they viewed him in a higher level… more like feared, but I couldn't see any obvious reason as to why.

'Why are they so afraid of him…? That guy…Kankuro was it? His attitude took a 180. This fear isn't natural.'

"Why do you think we came all the way here to Konoha?" Gaara demands as he coldly stares at the two below him, focusing mainly on Kankuro.

"They started it." Kankuro responds meekly.

'Really? That's the first thing you say…what happened to that cocky boy several seconds ago?' I thought as I slightly sweat drop at the drastic change in behavior.

"Shut up. I'll kill you." Gaara mutters without hesitation.

Kankuro's body immediately tenses as he desperately apologizes to Gaara who in turn dismisses it before turning to me.

"Excuse him, you guys." He states casually. In a matter of seconds, his body disappears in the sand before reappearing in front of me. Sakura, Naruto, and the others take a step back in surprise but it seems he didn't notice. His eyes lock with mine before he roughly grabs my wrist in his calloused hand, examining the slowly forming hand-shaped bruise.

"Forgive him. It won't happen again." His rough fingers brush over the bruises.

Something unsettling stirs inside me, but I dismiss it as I calmly glance back at the boy.

"It's alright. I hurt him as well. Please forgive my rash behavior." I apologize, knowing there was no point to leave any possible reasons for retaliation. Gasps resound behind me, but I'm not sure who they belonged to. The boy shifts his gaze back to Kankuro, focusing on the arm encased in ice. Before he can respond, the ice shatters, allowing the blood to circulate once again and a relieved expression to enter Kankuro's face. Interest flashes through his eyes as he gazes at me questioningly, scanning my eyes as if searching for something behind them as his grip continues to tighten unconsciously.

"You're hurting her." Sasuke states as he pulls me behind him, breaking the boy's gaze on me.

The boy blinks slightly before speaking. "Excuse me." He walks over to the other sand nins and tells them to go. They all obediently follow his lead as he continues to walk forward until Sakura calls out to them, causing them to halt in their steps.

"What?" The blond-haired sand ninja asks irritably.

"Judging from your forehead protectors, you're ninjas from the Village Hidden in the Sand right? The Country of Fire and the Country of Wind have an alliance, but a treaty prevents ninja from entering each other's countries without permission. State your purpose." Sakura asks firmly.

'A second ago she was scared of them…guess Sasuke gave her a confidence boost.' I thought absently before walking over to Sakura and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright Sakura. They're just here for the Chunin Exams."

Everyone looks in my direction with confused expression. 'Was it something I said?" I thought absently as I rub the back of my head, staring blankly back at them.

"Hmph. Looks like one of you isn't ignorant." The girl mutters as she crosses her arms.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I say with a shrug.

"What's the Chunin Exam?" Naruto wonders out loud.

"Naruto, you can advance from a genin to a chunin if you pass the exam." Konohamaru whispers, causing Naruto's eyes to shine in happiness.

"Really? Then I should take it too." Naruto states excitedly.

The three continue to walk away but Sasuke stops them.

"Hey, what's your name?" Sasuke asks. The girl looks back and blushes as she asks Sasuke if he was referring to her.

"No, the one next to you, with the gourd." Sasuke states pointing to Gaara.

'Didn't he hear Kankuro say Gaara's name or was that just me?' I thought with a slight frown. 'Maybe he just wanted a formal introduction…'

The red-haired boy glances back at Sasuke. The expression on Gaara's face causes me to slightly furrow my brows as I recognize that look seeing as how I've worn it so many times in the past.

'There's something… different about him… like he's hiding something…' I thought in confusion.

"Gaara of the Desert. I am also interested in you. What's your name?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Gaara's gaze shifts back to me.

"And yours?"

"I'm Uz-"

Before Naruto could finish, Gaara cuts him off.

"Not you. I'm asking the blue-haired girl."

His eyes bore into mine as he awaits my response. "Amarante Riku."

When I finish, I see Sasuke shielding me from view, causing the boy to shift his gaze back to Sasuke. Without another word, the three sand ninjas jump away.

"Sasuke. I didn't need your help." I whisper.

He looks in my direction, but doesn't respond. I look into his eyes and see a range of different emotions: pride, pain, excitement, and slight worry? We continue to hold each other's gaze before Sasuke breaks eye contact.

"Hn." He states before walking away.

'Translation: You did need my help; you're just too stubborn to accept it. Yup…still the same Sasuke.' I thought with a sweat drop before noticing the slight anger coating Sakura's eyes as she glances my way.

I let out an exasperated sigh.

'Why do I get the feeling she's upset with me…?'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. But yeah I'm making Riku go through some puberty issues. (^.^) Guess growing up too fast has its downfalls as well. Hope to see you soon. If you want to see anything side stories about Riku then send them to me and I'll see what I can do. Please review and I'll see you guys soon.<strong>

**I'm going to have a lot of fun writing Riku's fights during the Chuunin exams. I wonder how she's going to react when she sees Lee xD**

**Till next time.**

**Ja ne.~ **


	8. Chapter 8: Trials

-Chapter 8: Trials-

**AN: Thank you for everyone who has read this story. Special thanks to ****The Goddess Of War Athena**** and ****Tenshin-no-Tsubasa ****for the comments/reviews. Both of you expressed some really valid points and I'll address them now.**

**Goddess Of War Athena****: So I made Gaara interested in her, because he found her broken eyes interesting. It's also been revealed that Riku was known as a demon in her clan, which I'll talk about in one of the upcoming chapters. (I'll dedicate a chapter to talk about Riku's past when she finally goes back to the clan's main house after the forest of death.) So in some ways, she can relate to Gaara and he can see that in her eyes. Pairings are undecided at this point but I'm leaning towards Sasuke and possibly Itachi. You can send me your opinions and I'll see what I can do.**

**Tenshin-no-Tsubasa:**** Honestly, I didn't mind the long review/comment. It's nice to hear some feedback and it'll help me think of things to work out in the story. Plus, it's fun to read what you think will happen in the story so don't worry about annoying me or anything. Just write what you want to let me know. (^.^) Naruto is very naïve and keeps paying attention to Sakura. It hurts Riku but she can't really do anything to stop it. Going through her own teenage hormones doesn't help her cause either. Shikamaru's a very good friend of hers and he's trying his best to help her…in his own way. *cough*shogi*cough*cloudwatching*cough* Guess we'll see if Riku figures out her emotions concerning him or not. (^.^) Yes, the person with blood red eyes was Itachi. XD For Lee…let's just say she has experience with 'unique' people. I'm going to have fun figuring out how Gaara reacts to her preliminary fight. She's going to behave a little differently during this battle. Lastly, Riku's going to have a very **_**fun **_**time seeing Orochimaru again. (^.^)**

**Hope that answered your questions. If anyone wants me to clarify anything or just want to express your ideas, then just post a review and I'll address it in the next chapter.**

**For this chapter, Riku's going to be thinking about some of her issues.. I guess you can call them that… but it's mostly focused on getting to the first exam.**

**{~}**

*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 2)*

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p><em>No matter how much it hurts, no matter what the pain is inside, work hard to make somebody happy every day, even if it is yourself.<em>

_~Unknown_

_**'Just smile. No matter how much it hurts inside, do not crack the mask. If the mask should crack… how will I face you again… '**_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

* * *

><p>~The next day~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

"Why does that person always make us wait when he's the one who called us up?" Sakura mutters out with an agitated huff as she crosses her arms over her chest.

All of us – Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and I – were waiting on the bridge for our favorite mask-cladded sensei to show up, but seeing as this was our sensei… let's say it was more likely for Sasuke to return Sakura's feelings than for Kaka-sensei to show up on time. Sakura continues muttering angrily to herself as she leans against the railing of the bridge, looking apprehensively in the forest for any signs of Kaka-sensei but to no avail. Dangling my legs from my perch on the railing, I brush away my bangs out of my face before another current of wind places them back where they started.

'I need a haircut… but…' I blew some of the stray hairs out of my face.

_-Flashback-_

_Oto-san's silver eyes glance down at my tiny form as a small smile enters his face. _

"_You look just like your oka-san when she was your age." He mutters before stroking my long hair. "Promise me you won't cut it Riku." _

_My innocent silver orbs match his; confusion leaks through them. "Nande?"_

_A tired smile enters his face before he replies, "No reason." His shoulders sag as his hand leaves my hair. A strange emotion stirs in his eyes before he slowly walks away, leaving me confused by his actions._

_-End Flashback- _

'I promised him I wouldn't… but why does that matter now…' I trail off in my thoughts as I fingered some lose strands of hair. It wasn't long until Naruto's voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto agrees.

I look up from my position and see Naruto and Sakura talking to each other with looks of agreement mirroring each other.

'Looks like they're starting to get friendlier with one another.' I thought with a slight smirk before glancing over to Sasuke. Said boy stood next to Sakura, leaning against the railing while attempting to ignore the outbursts emitting from the two.

"How is he going to compensate a girl who woke up late and had to give up blow drying her hair?" Sakura complains, causing my face to become blank at the _seriousness_ of that statement.

"I woke up late, so I couldn't wash my face or brush my teeth!" Naruto adds, causing a look of disgust to enter Sakura's face.

'Same old, same old.' I thought with an internal sigh as I make a move to get up from my perch. 'I wonder when something interesting will happen….'

As if right on cue, the weight bands on my arms and legs suddenly increase. My eyes widen in surprise before gravity takes over as I slightly flail my arms to maintain balance before…

*crash* *snap*

I land face first onto the wooden flooring of the bridge. 'Huh…The wood looks so lovely this fine morning…' Releasing a sigh, I shift my head to the left so that I was resting on my cheek. Trailing my gaze down my arm, I see splintering wood forming around the bands responsible for my most graceful fall.

'What did I do now? She doesn't increase the weights unless she's upset…or drunk.' I thought with a sweat drop as I blow several lose strands of hair out of my face.

Right at that moment Kaka-sensei appears on top of the bridge gate with a cheerful smile from what could be seen with his mask.

"Yo, I got lost in the path…" Kaka-sensei trails off before tilting his head to the side, "why is Riku on the ground?"

Naruto and Sakura momentarily dismiss their frustration towards Kaka-sensei and glance in my direction. Surprise and confusion morph onto their faces. Sasuke looks down at me as well, holding a questioning yet amused gaze.

"Oi Riku why are you on the ground?" Naruto asks as a look of utter confusion dominates his face.

"Oh no reason…" I answer off handedly with as much of a shrug as I could make with my current predicament. "I just like how the ground feels. You know… with it being hard and unforgiving and all."

"But you just fell." Sakura adds skeptically.

"I was being sarcastic." I mumble to myself. *sigh*

With much effort, I shakily stand up and face everyone. "I guess I was…" I trail off before gravity acts up once again, sending me sprawling on my back.

*crash*

An amused chuckle reaches my ears, causing me to snap a glare at the culprit.

"Don't. Say. Anything." I grit out as I send a mock glare their way, earning sweat drops from my teammates. Kaka-sensei's chuckles subside as he nods his head in understanding before jumping down before me.

"I'll get to the point." Kaka-sensei announces as he grips one of my hands before hoisting me up and steadying my trembling form as I attempt to stand on my own. "I recommended all of you for the Chunin Exam, so…" He trails off as he takes several steps back to see if I could stand. Satisfied that I could, he pulls out several forms, "here take these applications."

"Chunin exams?" Sakura asks hesitantly as she eyes the forms warily, probably remembering the small incident that occurred yesterday.

"However, the recommendation doesn't force you to take it. You can decide if you want to take it or not." He adds lightly, noticing Sakura's hesitation.

"Yes! I love you Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaims as he wraps his arms around Kaka-sensei's neck.

"Naruto! I can't believe you're cheating on Sasuke." I state in mock horror, allowing my eyes to widen as if I was in complete shock. A grunt of disgust reverberates in Sasuke's throat as he looks away.

Once the words register, Naruto stops dead in his tracks, azure eyes widening considerably as a faint trail of pink blossoms on his face. He opens his mouth to protest before stopping himself and attempting once again, only for the same thing to happen – making him look like a gaping fish. On the other hand, Kaka-sensei's eye visibly widens before he immediately pries Naruto off his person.

"Riku…" Kaka-sensei growls out, but I cut him off.

"I know. Don't reveal anything about your sex life…" I wave off nonchalantly before a smirk appears on my face, "if you had one that is."

His eye starts twitching, causing me to release a small chuckle. Before I had another opportunity to embarrass him, he hands us the forms.

"Only those who wish to take it are to sign the application, and … five days after that, go to the Academy by 3 PM and go to room 301. That is all." He states before sending a mock glare in my direction, causing me to release a small smirk in response.

"The Chunin exam. The Chunin exam." Naruto chants merrily while holding the application above his face.

**{~}**

~Walking Back to the Village~

"The Chunin Exam ehh? There must be a lot of strong guys." Naruto comments offhandedly as he looks at the application.

At this point, my body had adapted to the extra weight to allow me to start walking normally again. Although it was difficult to move around with, seeing as I felt like a boulder was resting atop my back, it was still possible. Cracking my back in an attempt to ease the strain my arms, I glance at Sakura walking next to me. Her head was slightly bowed as her brows furrowed in thought. Apprehension radiated off of her in waves, but it seems the two boys ahead of us were oblivious. Sakura and I were walking slightly behind the boys with Sasuke to our right and Naruto to our left. Both Naruto and Sasuke looked outright excited to participate and test out their strength, seemingly oblivious to everything else around them. It was no surprise they didn't notice Sakura slowing down her steps, creating more distance between us and the boys. Noticing the fearful look in her eyes, I fall back as well and place a hand on Sakura's shoulder in an attempt at comfort.

"Sakura don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll do fine. You have the best analytical mind out of all of us and we will be there too." I state with a smile, hoping my words would be able to get through to her.

She smiles slightly, causing some of the anxiety to melt away from her eyes.

"Arigato. I'm still worried that…" Sakura trails off as the anxiety in her eyes come back full force.

I glance away as I bring both my arms behind my head. "You still have five days to think it over. Just make sure your decision is yours alone. That's what matters the most." A small twitch appears on her face before a small smile takes over. She sends me an appreciative look before asking me if I wanted to catch up with the others. Releasing a sigh, I explained how I had other plans. Understanding, she sends me a smile before running to catch up with the two boys who finally noticed she was missing.

'Boys…' I thought with an eye roll before watching the retreating backs of my teammates. All of them had joyful smiles adorning their faces, with the exception of Sasuke who had his ever present smirk. The corners of my mouth tilt slightly upwards as I watch the three before me. Their eyes… their smiles… held innocence and naivety… an existence that held ignorance– an untainted existence. 'I don't exist in their world any longer,' I thought to myself as I brush some of the bangs out of my eyes – never allowing my gaze to waver, 'but it doesn't matter as long as they remain untainted. I exist for that reason.' Finally breaking my gaze, I shift my attention to the direction of the training grounds as a solemn expression enters my face.

'Can't avoid her forever…what ticked her off this time….' I thought with a mental sweat drop as I ran through several possibilities… all of which should never be repeated.

*sigh*

* * *

><p>~At Training Ground 6~<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

"How is _this_ in _any way_ fair?" Riku deadpans, staring at the offending objects presented to her as if they would randomly combust if she stared at them long enough.

With a scoff, Anko grabs Riku's limp hand before placing a blindfold and earplugs on it.

"Of course it's fair. Not everyone has your eyes and sensitive ears so we're just making sure we reduce you to a common genin. Not that hard to do." Anko states with a shrug.

'I doubt a common genin would be blind… and deaf…' Riku thought with an eye roll before glancing at the psycho before her.

"And we're doing this because?" Riku asks, suspicion lacing her words.

"To celebrate you surviving your mission…and for you to pay your debt." Anko states with a sadistic smirk.

"So you're not mad about…" Riku trails off before the words register in her mind, "wait what debt?" Riku's eyes widen in surprise as she stares at the smirking sadist before her.

"The one you have to pay." Anko waves off before irritation coats her face, "Well put them on gaki I don't have all day!" She yells impatiently as she places her hands on her hips.

Riku sighs out before putting on the blindfold and earplugs.

"Now can you hear me gaki?" Anko yells.

Riku doesn't respond, causing a malicious smirk to appear on Anko's face.

"I wonder how she's going to figure out how to dodge these…well not my problem." Anko states happily as she sends several senbon in Riku's direction. They make contact, causing Riku's body to recoil in pain.

"How do you expect me to dodge them when I can't see or hear anything?" Riku yells out, irritation coating her voice.

Anko merely chuckles, knowing Riku wouldn't be able to hear her response.

"That's the point of this exercise. There will be times where you'll be at an immense disadvantage and will have to figure things out on your own. Now on with the punishment, I mean game." Anko gleefully announces as she pulls several more senbon from her pouch.

Riku doesn't respond, opting rather to get into a defensive stance. Amused at her student's determination, Anko sends several senbon at Riku, but oddly enough they get repelled. Furrowing her eyebrows in thought, Anko tries again but the results are the same.

*whistles*

"Will you look at that…Guess she learned how to use that lightning of hers." Amusement dances in her eyes, "Let's see if we kick this up a notch."

Several shadow clones appear, all of which circle Riku's form. All of them held a look of excitement as they pull out senbon, shuriken, and kunai.

"Don't die on me now gaki." They all mutter sadistically as they send the weapons speeding towards Riku. Streams of lightning crackle against her form, repelling some of the weapons although most manage to break through. Her body recoils from the numerous impacts that connect with her body. Staggering backwards, Riku feels warm liquid trailing down her arms and legs.

"You're relying too much on your little element gaki!" Anko criticizes as she sees the lightning attack its supposed master. Her eyes widen in surprise as her student grips her chest in pain before trembling. "Gaki…" Anko trails off as she remembers the warning the Hokage gave her concerning her student's new trick.

'That element has to feed off something…' Anko's eyes narrow. 'Unlike other elements that can be controlled in her clan, lightning runs on a person's mentality… her element… it acts as if it's alive… if that's the case then it hasn't approved of her as its master; hence, the body's internal decay…' Anko bites her lip in agitation. 'You're going to have to fight through this gaki... don't let it take over.'

Riku shakily drops her hand before her legs buckle under her, causing her to fall heavily on her knees. A round of coughs racks her body as the lightning continues to menacingly circle her form, taking on the shape of some sort of lizard. Gritting her teeth in pain, Riku staggers back up before an agonized cry escapes her lips as the lightning dissipates into wisps. Panting, Riku shakily bends the water from her gourd along her injuries. The weapons embedded into her skin clang on the ground as the water works around her body, removing the projectiles while healing the wounds hindering her movement. Anko bites her bottom lip at the pathetic state her student was in, but at the same time, she knew her precious student despised pity and she was one who would happily comply with that one expectation.

"Huh… you really do have some fight in you…" Anko mutters to herself as she readies another onslaught of projectiles, "But… everyone has a breaking point, including you." Anko mutters to herself before a fire enters her eyes.

As the last of the weapons dislodges from her skin, another onslaught flies towards the seemingly defenseless girl. Riku twists on the ball of her foot, barely avoiding some of the projectiles as lightning crackles around her in web-like tendrils. Narrowing their eyes, all the Anko clones relax their stance before disappearing in puffs of white smoke, leaving only the original standing several feet in front of Riku's trembling form. With a bored expression gracing her features, Anko pulls out a single kunai as she examines her student. Riku 's hair was disheveled in various place. Dried blood trails were seen across her body. Everything in her appearance brought about the assumption of an enemy encounter. The lightning emanating around her slowly subsides before disappearing into purple wisps. Labored breathing could be heard from the girl as she grips her chest in pain.

"Everything you go through… it's for that kid isn't it gaki?" Anko questions, knowing she wouldn't get a response. "If you lose sight of your own dream… of your own person…the result is always the same…"

*clink*

Anko adjusts the kunai in her hand as she utters the following words: "Game over."

The kunai hurdles towards Riku's face only for a small wall of ice to intercept it before the kunai clangs uselessly to the ground. Shakily bringing her hands to the blindfold, Riku pulls it away only to barely evade a well-aimed punch in the face.

"What *pant* was that for?" Riku asks irritated as she fumbles to take off her ear plugs.

"Training. I never said we were done. After all, you had such a difficult time on that mission, didn't you?" Anko states with a malicious gleam in her eye, causing Riku to send a glare at her sensei. "But it seems you brought back something dangerous. You do know it's devouring you every time you use it right?" Anko warns, a serious expression adorning her face. Riku's eyes slightly widen at the seriousness of her voice, knowing her sensei's rare use of such a tone.

Riku eyes dull as she looks down. "Of course. That's why all lightning users fear reaching the End. If the element keeps rejecting me… then my time runs out. Simple as that." She finishes with a shrug. "There's a time limit for controlling this element… I just have to make sure not to exceed it."

Anko examines her student's face. It was blank, perfectly hiding away any insecurities…to the untrained eye that is. To her, it was riddled with cracks. More have formed since her return to the village, but Anko chooses not to say anything. 'Let her believe that no one can see what she truly feels.' Anko thought to herself. But from what she heard from the Hokage and what she had seen on the mission report, the mission to the Land of Waves was a turning point for her student. Although she wasn't quite sure the exact effects of the mission on her student's psyche, she knew it resurfaced some memories that were better left forgotten. Reaching into her coat pocket, Anko curls her fingers around a glass object, contemplating her decision for the last time before throwing said object toward Riku. Acting on instinct, Riku catches the offending object in her hand before glancing down at it. Confusion dominates her face as she sees the sloshing white liquid in the vial.

"This is…" Riku trails off, confusion still evident on her face.

"Consider it assurance." Anko replies with a shrug. "It'll delay the side effects of overusing your suicidal element for a certain amount of time, but I'm not sure of the side effects. We were not able to translate everything from that medical scroll we retrieved from the compound on this, so this is the best we could do. Take it or leave it." Anko finishes with a careless wave of her hand.

Riku's grip on the vial tightens momentarily before she puts it away. Noticing the slight shift in mood, Anko releases a sigh.

"Oi gaki… why go through this? You can't mean to tell me you're doing everything for that blonde-haired goofball."

A small smile enters Riku's face as Anko continues. "After we rescued you, you had the emotional capacity of a cinderblock. But after you met him, you changed. Is he really that important to you? Important enough for you to give up your own dream to help him achieve his?"

The smile grows before a small laugh escapes Riku's lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about. He may be a goofball, but he's my goofball. Besides, what dream are you talking about? I am only a supporting character in the grand scheme of things."

"Tch. Still stubborn." Anko groans before locking eyes with her student. "Remember what I taught you. If you lose sight of your own goals, the game ends."

"Ahh… I know." Riku replies confidently. "After all, games are how we survive in this insane world ne?"

Anko's smirk grows as she watches her student. "Now that's the student I know!" She exclaims as she traps her student in a headlock while giving her a noogie. Releasing a strangled cry of annoyance, Riku pushes away from her sensei before directing a small glare at the woman who responded with a cheeky grin. A tense atmosphere settles on the two figures before a slow smile creeps along Riku's face before she releases a laugh.

"You haven't changed psycho-sensei." Riku comments as she slightly shakes her head from side to side.

"Of course." Anko answers smugly before the look falls off her face to be replaced by a calculating one. "Oi gaki, you know you can't save everyone right? In life, pieces will have to be lost. It's inevitable so stop being all doom and gloom. It's annoying."

Glancing at Anko with what appeared to be a disinterested look, Riku replies, "What if there was another way? Life doesn't have to run on sacrifices. Pieces… people… they're not that different but they still hold significance. They are connected to others… " Riku closes her eyes, "You know what's funny…I can't help but hope for the day where there will just be peace…no fighting, no losses, no pain."

Anko slightly narrows her eyes at her student's behavior. "What happened to being a realist?"

Riku's amused eyes stare into Anko's. "What I see is my reality. That is all that matters to me." Coldness enters her eyes as she continues, "I was never meant to be here. I am and will always be a shadow that needs to be eliminated. That was what that old prune told you, wasn't it?"

"Tch. Again with the old gloom and doom gaki. Stop that." Anko orders as she places her hands on her hips, "What happened to that spunky girl I know?"

"You mean the girl you used as a punched bag?" Riku retorts with a slight laugh.

"No not that one. She didn't last a day with me. I'm talking about the one that entertains me all the time." Anko states casually.

"Um living, breathing, existing…shall I go on?" Riku mocks "You're not getting soft in your old age are you psycho-sensei?"

A tick mark appears on Anko's head as she holds her right hand in a fist.

"Oh will you look at that. Break's over. Get over here gaki you're fighting me. Now." Anko states harshly. "I'm going to make sure you won't be able to move let alone talk tomorrow."

Riku cracks a small smile as gazes at her sensei's retreating back.

"Arigato Anko-sensei." She mutters out before staggering after her to start the spar.

* * *

><p>~The following day~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

Psycho-sensei definitely held true to her promise. Every muscle, every fiber of my being was sore and screaming in pain. Though I was able to heal the torn muscle fibers and external wounds, the soreness still remained. Seeing as how I lost our match, psycho-sensei decided not to lower the weights back to normal, saying I needed the extra training. She probably meant: "I want to torture you so you're stuck with the weights. Have fun."

Since I was literally useless in this state, I decided to just watch the clouds pass by in training ground 3. No one else was there. They all claimed that they had plans, or just had better things to do, not that I minded. Naruto had disappeared before I had a chance to talk to him. Sakura was probably thinking things over and Sasuke was training somewhere. Unfortunately, like all good things, the cloud gazing had to end.

"What do you want?" I mutter out without shifting my gaze from the floating clouds.

The rain ninja seems slightly surprised that I was able to notice him, but it wasn't that difficult. Since I gained the second stage of the Bikoume, I've been able to detect subtle disturbances in the airborne water particles.

An amused chuckle escapes his lips. "Don't act so cocky kid. If I were you I'd watch myself." The man warns. Arrogance coated each of his words, but I only found it annoying.

Releasing an annoyed sigh, I reply, "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now. Come back later." I drape my right arm over my eyes to shield myself from the harsh rays of the sun that had managed to peek through the cover of the clouds. Anko's training as well as the other things on my mind weren't helping my mood.

'All I want is to relax for once in my life…is that so much to ask? Stupid teenage hormones.' (-_-;) I thought with an aggravated groan as I clench my eyes tighter in a silly attempt to make myself believe the rain ninja had left since I couldn't see him. Unfortunately, that train of thought only worked on babies last time I checked.

"I'm afraid time's up." The ninja states as he throws several shuriken at me.

I wave my left hand to the side, creating a small wall of water to catch the shuriken before sending them back at the man. He jumps out of the way before they make contact.

"You shouldn't leave so many openings for the enemy." He yells as he throws something in the air.

My right arm falls from my eyes as I see an umbrella directly above me send hundreds of kunai in my direction.

"Fine. Let's play." I growl out. I quickly jump out of the way as I feel the soreness in my legs screaming at me to stop. The kunai miss but continue to rain out from the umbrella

'My body can't keep this up for too long…I need to end this fast.'

"If you can't dodge then how are you going to survive in the chunin exams? Maybe you should quit before you get hurt girlie." The man taunts.

*tick mark*

'Girlie?' I thought incredulously.

I uncap the gourd and bend the water into a whip before lashing out at the raining kunai. Within seconds, all the kunai fall helplessly to the ground.

"Huh. Guess you're not as weak as I thought. But you won't sur-"

Before the man speaks another word, I reappear behind him with an ice blade pressed against his throat.

"Are you done testing me Iruka-sensei? I want to go back to my rest." I state with a sigh. "You could have noticed you were watching my shadow clone do all the fighting while I came up behind you. You're not going senile on me are you?"

"Guess you found out." Iruka-sensei states before releasing the henge. "I just wanted to make sure you were ready for the exams." He starts rubbing the back of his head.

I couldn't help but smile as the blade melts back into water before trailing down my hand.

"Arigato for worrying about me, but I can take care of myself. All of us genin are ready to take the exam. Who knows it might even help us all mature a little." I state with a shrug.

Iruka-sensei smiles a bit. "You may be right. I need to go test the others now, but Riku?" I send him a questioning gaze. "You look like you've gotten paler. Take care of yourself more alright?" He finishes with a concerned smile before slightly ruffling my hair and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

I stare blankly at the spot he once stood, processing his last words before running a hand through my hair. 'It's starting to get more obvious now huh…' I thought sadly before thinking back to the 'medicine' Anko gave me the day before. 'I need to rest up…' I allow my limbs to relax as my body falls backwards into the grass.

*crash*

I slightly sweat drop at my predicament. 'That might not have been a smart idea.' Shifting my gaze to my arm, I see a small crater located under the weight band.

'Guess I better tell Ojii-san to fix this later…'

For the rest of the day I continue to watch the clouds float by until the warmth lulled me to sleep. Nothing had managed to disturb my rest, except Naruto's yells over in the nearby training grounds.

'Guess Naruto managed to pass Iruka's test…he's growing' I thought as I blink away the sleepiness from my eyes.

I continue to watch the clouds and think back to when Naruto and I were inseparable. He would always get in trouble, making me think of ways to bail him out. Eventually, I just settled with taking the punishment with him. During those times, he wouldn't think of anyone else except Iruka-sensei and me. But things would soon change…Naruto wants to be recognized by everyone in the village. I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest, knowing my acknowledgement wasn't enough for him. It was a selfish feeling, one I quickly banished from my mind.

*sigh* 'I might be over thinking this… all I can do is support him as much as I can. I won't go back on my promise to him…but will he go back on his promise?' Uncertainty flashes through me, but I think back to his behavior in the Land of Waves. How he protected me… his desperation to get to me away from Gatoh… the fear in his eyes when he thought of the possibility of him seeing me as nothing more than a tool…

'He cares so much for me… I can't believe I am too blind to see it…'

My mind then drifts back to Sasuke. It was difficult to understand what was going on in his head at times. He's changed since we've first met. The carefree, expressive boy that I once knew was no longer there. Well, no. He was still there, just hidden behind the hate for his brother and the thirst for revenge. His hatred… his anger… it's lessen since the beginning of the formation of our team. Without it, he's almost as he was before, just more arrogant and less open. Even so, he's still the same caring boy even though he tries not to show it. Recently, he's been lost in thought around me. It's difficult to imagine him as such, but when questioned, he would always respond with a sarcastic remark. It could be a puberty thing. Boys do mature slower than girls, or well that was what Anko told me anyway, but I suppose Anko may not be the best resource in matters regarding to this. I run my hand through my hair in slight confusion.

'I wonder… where did that question come from? _What am I to you?_ He's a precious person…but what did I mean when I said that?' I slightly furrow my brows in thought before releasing a sigh when no simple explanation formed.

To be honest, Shika's been acting differently around me as well. Usually he doesn't say anything and we just play shogi or watch the clouds, but now… he's actually asking me what I'm thinking. Maybe his mom was getting on his case again about chivalry and he just acted that way to appease her? No. Shika would find that too troublesome. Then again, he usually found the discussion of emotions, especially that of girls troublesome.

"Geez…Why are boys so confusing…" I groan out as I cover my eyes with the palms of my hands. They act one way, then they act weird and say it's nothing. Is this normal? Do boys get mood shifts too?

"Ah… screw it…" I mutter out frustrated before letting my wrists fall to the ground in another loud crash, not caring about the damage made to the ground. My thoughts then shift towards Gaara for a brief moment before I abruptly sit up. 'Why would I think of him in the first place?' I tilt my head in confusion before shaking my head. 'I'm losing it… I just need more rest… guys will be the death of me… I swear.' Leaving the comfort of the grass, I head home for the night. I still had several days before the exam and needed all the rest I could get.

**{~}**

~Several days later~

-At the Academy-

"Sakura-chan, you're late." Naruto states.

Stifling a yawn, I look to my left and see Sakura fidgeting as she weakly greets Sasuke.

'She must be really worried.' I thought as I attempt to shake the fatigue out of my system.

As we walk through the hallway, I notice the genjutsu placed on the sign near one of the doorways. I glance at everyone else and it seems they noticed it as well. As we got closer to the room 'marked' 301, we see a crowd of people blocking our way. Sounds of punches could be heard from the center of the crowd.

"Listen up, we're being kind to you. The Chunin Exam is really difficult." A boy states. His face had three bandages near his chin.

"We have seen those who gave up on becoming a ninja or become seriously injured taking this exam." The other guard continues.

'Why does he look like Izumo-san? Don't tell me that's him…' I thought as I stare blankly at the guard.

"A Chunin is a commander of a squad. It's the commander's responsibility for failing any missions and the death of their subordinates. And to think these kids are…" The bandage boy breaks off.

While the two were making their speech, we were making our way towards the front of the group.

"What's wrong with sifting out those who aren't going to pass anyway?" The mini Izumo asks.

"That's a sound argument, but I will pass." Sasuke takes several steps forward. "And undo the genjutsu you placed on the sign. I want to go to the third floor."

Murmurs of confusion and skepticism could be heard throughout the crowd.

"So they haven't figured it out…" I mutter to myself as I look around.

"Oh?"

"You noticed?" Mini Izumo comments.

Sasuke turns to Sakura. "Sakura, how about you? You should've noticed first. You're the best at analyzing genjutsus in our squad."

I slightly smile at the encouragement Sasuke gave Sakura as I see the confidence in her eyes grow.

"Sasuke-kun…arigato…" Sakura whispers before raising her voice. "Of course. I noticed it already, because this is the second floor."

Naruto and I nod in agreement as the genjutsu dispels itself.

"You're pretty good. But just being able to detect it isn't good enough…" The boy states before attacking Sasuke.

Before the other boy could attack, I slam him against the wall, pressing an ice blade on his neck as I bend his arm behind his back.

"It's not nice to pick on genin Izumo-san." I whisper in his ear. He slightly tenses at the cold tone in my voice before glancing back at me with a pleasant smile.

"You're starting to sound more like Anko with each passing day Riku-chan." Izumo comments easily.

I merely sigh and release him, seeing as there was no need to bother him. A small outburst from behind catches my attention, causing me to glance back to I see a boy in a green jumpsuit blushing at Sakura. I couldn't help but feel like I've seen him before, but I quickly disregard that possibility, seeing as I would have remembered someone as …unique as him.

As I walk closer to the rest of my team, I couldn't help the smirk creeping onto my face. 'Ahh…entertainment...'

It wasn't long before the jumpsuit clad boy rushes past Sasuke to stand right in front of Sakura's surprised form.

"My name is Rock Lee. You are Sakura-san right?"

"Ehh?" Sakura mutters out before taking a step back so she was standing right next to me.

Lee holds his thumb out and winks at Sakura. "Let's go out! I will protect you until I die!"

I could have sworn I saw a sparkle coming from his teeth. Sakura; however, seemed to be going into shock.

"No way…" She deadpans as a trail of sweat trails down her face.

"Nani?" Lee asks sadly, eyes distraught and wide.

"You're too…unique… for my tastes." She states with ill-disguised disgust.

A storm cloud seems to be raining over Lee's head as he appears to be going into his own corner of woe.

"Hey, you there. Identify yourself."

"You're supposed to identify yourself before you ask." Sasuke comments as he faces the source of the voice.

I switch my gaze to Sasuke to see him talking to a boy with white pupil-less eyes. My eyes trail down his form, noticing the bandages covering his right arm and calf. He wore a thick cream jacket with sleeves ending at the middle of his bicep and dark shorts ending at the knees. His long brown hair was tied towards the bottom ends, ending somewhere at his back.

The boy merely asks Sasuke's age in response, not bothering to answer Sasuke's question.

"I'm not obligated to answer that." Sasuke retorts before walking away with his hands in his pockets.

"Nani?" The boy growls out. Annoyance was clearly painted across his features.

I release a sigh at Sasuke's behavior. 'Guess that ego is getting to him again… but it's fun to watch.' Shaking my head slightly in amusement, I make a move to follow Sasuke only to have the girl from Lee's team step in front of my path. She wore a pink vest and had her hair tied in two buns.

I stare blankly at her before her face breaks into a soft smile. "What's your name?"

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." I reply with a slight smile of my own, allowing my eyes to soften at the genuine sincerity in her voice.

Her face lights up from my response. "I'm Tenten and you?"

"Amarante Riku."

Surprise dominates her face before she slightly composes herself, "You're the one that dressed up as a boy?"

"Hmm guess so." I answer with a shrug, "I just wore what I thought was comfortable. Not my fault people made the wrong assumptions."

Before she could comment, Sasuke grabs my hand and pulls me away from Tenten. Releasing a sigh at Sasuke's behavior, I look back and smile back apologetically to Tenten before facing Sasuke.

"Stop wasting time." He lightly reprimands before glancing down at me.

"Like you weren't doing that too." I mutter.

"Hn."

*eye roll*

Not long after our _long_ conversation, Sakura grabs Sasuke's other hand and Naruto's hand as she leads us out of the hallway.

As we continue walking to the third floor, we hear someone calling out to us from the stairway.

"You there with the sharp eyes. Wait."

All of us turn around to see Lee standing on the balcony. Sakura freezes up once she sees him before slowly inching behind me in an attempt to make herself disappear from sight.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asks.

"Will you fight me right here, right now?" Lee responds.

"Fight you right here, right now?" Sasuke repeats.

Lee nods and jumps down in front of us.

"My name is Rock Lee. You're supposed to identify yourself before you ask for someone else's name right… Uchiha Sasuke-san."

"So you know my name."

Lee gets into a stance and asks to fight Sasuke. "I would like to see how my moves will do against a descendant of the genius ninja clan. Also…"

He looks in Sakura's direction and I could feel her shivering behind me. Seeing as how I wouldn't want to waste this perfect moment for Sakura, I step out of the way to give Lee complete visual of her. Sakura sends me a glare before facing Lee.

"Sakura-san…" A blush appears on Lee's face. "I love you."

"Noo!" Sakura yells as she madly shakes her head back and forth. "I hate those eyebrows! Your hairstyle, fuzzy eyebrows, and everything about you is too…unique… for me!" Sakura states while shivering.

Naruto, Sasuke, and I were just blankly watching Sakura's reactions.

'This is better than what I was hoping for.' I thought as amusement dances in my eyes.

"You're an angel." Lee continues as he sends weird pink hearts at Sakura, completely disregarding her previous statement.

In response, Sakura continues to sharply dodge every single one of them.

"Stop throwing weird things at me! I had to dodge those like my life depended on it!" Sakura yells.

"You don't need to avoid him that much…" Lee mutters out sadly.

I look to my left and see Naruto clenching his fists. He was probably upset everyone was paying attention to Sasuke.

"So you're challenging me knowing my name is Uchiha? I'm sorry to say this, but you're ignorant. Do you want to see what this name of Uchiha is capable of, fuzzy eyebrows?" Sasuke warns, arrogance lacing his words.

"Please." Lee states confidently as he gets into a stance.

'That stance…why is it so familiar…' I trail off in thought as I search in my memory for a possible explanation.

"Wait!"

We all turn to Naruto's direction and see him asking to fight Lee. Lee outright refuses, saying he only wanted to fight Sasuke. Naruto's form trembles in anger before he charges headfirst towards Lee.

"Geez, everyone is annoying me with Sasuke this, Sasuke that!" Naruto yells.

*sigh* "Temper, Naru…" I breathe out before something clicks in my head. 'I remember now…' I thought as I watch the two engage in their mini fight.

Lee redirects Naruto's punch with a small tap, causing Naruto to lose balance. Naruto catches himself on the ground and tries to kick Lee. But before his attack could connect, Lee sweeps his leg under Naruto, causing Naruto to spin towards the wall.

'No doubt about it… he looks exactly that…guy…' I thought with a slight sweat drop. 'How could I forget? Anyway, it's about time this ends.'

Before Naruto makes contact with the wall, I catch him and stop both of us from making impact.

*sigh* "Never underestimate your opponents Naruto." I reprimand before helping him back into a standing position. He ignores my comment, opting rather to charge at Lee once again.

"Men and their pride." I growl out before a small wall of ice intercepts Naruto's and Lee's attacks. Both combatants jump back a step as the ice wall reverts back to water before glancing my way.

"As much fun as this is. You do know we are running out of time ne? We still have to turn in our applications." I state with a deceivingly pleasant smile, causing Naruto to gulp nervously at the expression on my face. He still refuses to move from his spot, causing me to release a sigh before I grab the scruff of his collar. Cries of protest escape Naruto's lips as he flails in an attempt to escape my grip. Releasing another sigh, I continue to drag Naruto so that he was sitting next to Sakura.

"I could have handled him." Naruto mutters, causing me to slightly smile.

"Ahh… if you say so." I tease, earning a slightly annoyed huff from Naruto.

Not heeding my previous statement, Lee announces confidently, "I will declare this now. You cannot defeat me… because I am the strongest of the Konoha Genins right now."

"Then why did you hesitate …" I mutter out. No one acknowledges my comment.

"Interesting. I'll accept." Sasuke states as he takes a step forward.

Releasing another sigh at Sasuke's disregard for our need to turn in our applications, I tap Sakura on the shoulder and point towards the clock. Her eyes widen in realization before she glances back at Sasuke worriedly.

"Don't Sasuke-kun. We have less than 30 minutes to turn in our applications."

"Don't worry." Sasuke closes his eyes. "It'll only take five minutes."

With that, Sasuke charges at Lee and tries to punch his face. However, Lee disappears from view and reappears behind Sasuke to deliver a sweeping kick to Sasuke's head. Sasuke crouches to dodge it, but Lee sends another sweeping kick that manages to connect with Sasuke's face.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yells out.

Sasuke slides on the floor but quickly gets up.

"Sasuke. You're going to have to pick up the pace if you want to stand a chance." I state while crossing my arms.

'You're not fast enough to respond… figure it out…'

He looks in my direction before nodding and activating his sharingan. I look to my right and see Sakura watching Sasuke in awe. It was obvious she felt there was no way Sasuke would lose now.

"Sakura. You shouldn't make presumptions on appearances." I say calmly.

She sends me a questioning look, but I merely tell her to watch the match. Within seconds, Sasuke is sent airborne from Lee's kick.

"Yes, my moves are neither ninjutsu nor genjutsu." Lee announces before attacking once more.

The spar continues with Sasuke being hit with a flurry of attacks, causing me to grit my teeth in annoyance.

'Sasuke underestimated him… as of right now, the outcome of this is already decided.'

"All my moves are strictly taijutsu." Lee states before reappearing behind Sasuke. "You may not be able to believe it right away, but…"

Sasuke tries to elbow Lee, but he jumps away. "I hear the sharingan has the ability to see through genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu. You can definitely see through and deal with ninjutsu and genjutsu, but taijutsu is a little different."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asks.

"Even if you can see my attacks, it won't do you any good if your body can't react fast enough. Do you know that there are genius-types and hard-working types among the strong?"

Lee continues to talk as Sasuke desperately tries to land a hit. However, Lee manages to break his guard and sends him in the air. He then disappears and reappears right behind Sasuke. His bandages start unwrapping from his hands.

"Baka." I growl out. Before Lee completes his attack, I take out a kunai and throw it at the bandage. Oddly enough someone else had the same idea and a pinwheel had also trapped the bandage against the wall.

"Stop right there, Lee." A turtle ninja states sternly.

Lee lands gracefully on the ground. But it seems Sasuke was too shaken up to think about landing. Sakura and I race over to him and catch him before he connects to the ground.

"Baka. Don't tell me you forgot how to land." I state as I busy myself with healing his injuries. "Don't make this a habit or you'll end up in the hospital for brain damage."

Sasuke sends me a halfhearted glare before looking at the scene behind us. Lee was frantically apologizing to the turtle. All we could do at this point was stare.

"Hey, Riku?" I look over to Naruto.

"Nani?"

"That's a turtle, right? Right?" He asks as he points towards the turtle.

"What else would it be?" I deadpan.

"So, so a turtle can become a ninja turtle, too?" Naruto asks.

"I don't know!" Sakura comments.

"It's not polite to point… but it's probably just a summon." I say absently before another cloud of smoke appears above the turtle's shell.

"You guys are in the spring time of your life, aren't you?" A familiar voice calls out, causing my expression to slightly fall. I hesitantly glance over at the turtle to see a grown up version of Lee holding an unusual pose.

'I was right…So that's why Lee's techniques looked familiar…I never thought I'd see him again…' I thought as I attempt to hide the grimace on my face.

[AN: Riku has seen Kakashi and Gai spar before so it's not unusual that she knows some of Lee's techniques. Also, growing up, Riku had to deal with Gai's …random appearances to challenge Kakashi and yes, she had to watch all of their matches.]

"An even more unique guy came out!" Naruto exclaims in disbelief.

During the whole exchange, I stood behind Sasuke in hopes of hiding from Gai-sensei, earning a look that said 'what are you doing?' from Sasuke. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side.

"Ehh? Is that you Riku!" He flails his arms in the air as tears flood from his eyes. "I haven't seen you since you were a little boy!" Gai-sensei yells from across the room before speeding over.

'This is getting weird…' I thought with a sweat drop.

"But to think you would hide this from me. I'm hurt." Gai-sensei continues as the tears continue to flood from his eyes. "Has Kakashi taken away all the youth from you?"

Slightly uncomfortable with the lack of space between the two of us, I take several steps back, only to have him inch closer. This cycle continues as I stutter out a response. "Umm… no" *takes steps back*…he's …um… showering me with youth?" I state hesitantly before the tears from Gai-sensei's eyes suddenly disappear. A bright smile enters his face before he drapes his arm around my shoulders, causing me to immediately tense before I squirm in an attempt to get away.

"So how's Kakashi-sensei doing?" He asks as a sparkle appears in his teeth, causing me to further inch away.

'Mood swings?' I thought with a sweat drop. Gai-sensei's actions cause Naruto and Sakura's eyes to widen as Sasuke's eyes were blank with confusion.

"You know Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asks, disbelief tinting his words. Gai-sensei turns to Sasuke with a weird gleam in his eyes.

"I don't just know him…people call us eternal rivals!" Gai-sensei announces as he releases his hold on me. I let out a sigh of relief before inching further away from the jumpsuit clad man.

"How fake!" Sakura and Naruto shout.

"How rude! Gai-sensei is really…" Lee starts but Gai-sensei interrupts him. "Don't say it out loud. Show it in your attitude."

With that, Gai-sensei disappears and reappears right behind us.

"The record stands at 50 wins and 49 losses."

All of us turn around to face him.

"When did he-?" Naruto asks as he takes a step back.

"Let me just tell you that I'm stronger than Kakashi." He states as he flashes his teeth at us.

"How's that? Gai-sensei is amazing, isn't he?" Lee calls out to us.

"That's one way to put it…" I mumble before releasing a tired sigh.

"Lee caused you trouble, but please forgive him for the sake of my face. This refreshing face that is." He states with a thumbs up, causing most of us to sweat drop. "Lee and the four of you should get to the classroom soon."

Gai-sensei takes out a kunai to free the bandage trapped in the wall. As the bandage falls to the ground, Lee starts rewrapping his hand, but in doing so, he reveals the stitches and scars marring his knuckles. I glance over towards Naruto and see him narrowing his eyes at the sight, somewhat understanding the training Lee had gone through. After Gai-sensei and the turtle disappear, Lee tells Sasuke that the strongest Konoha genin is actually on his team before jumping away. I look over at Sasuke and see Sasuke's body trembling with ill-disguised anger.

"Sasuke-kun" Sakura starts.

"Looks like the Uchiha clan isn't that great after all." Naruto interrupts while placing both his hands behind his head in a carefree manner.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolds.

"Shut up… next time, I'll slaughter him." Sasuke bites back.

"You lost so badly though." Naruto comments, earning him a glare from Sasuke.

"I agree with Naruto. You won't beat him." I state, causing him to shoot me a look.

"Riku!" Sakura warns.

"You all saw his hands right? They were battered and bruised…he must have pushed himself every single day in his training.." Naruto pauses.

"…to sum it up… he trained more than you. As you are right now, you won't win." I continue. As the words register, a look of realization crosses Sasuke face before he turns away from us.

"There will always be someone stronger than you. Just prove to them they can't beat you down." I state with a smile, earning a nod from Naruto. Small chuckles escape from Sasuke's lips.

"Hmm…this is getting interesting… the Chunin exams, that is." He turns to face all of us.

"Let's go," Sasuke stands up with a smirk adorning his face, "Naruto. Riku. Sakura."

**{~}**

~Outside room 301~

As we approach the door, we see Kaka-sensei blocking it.

"I see. So Sakura came as well." Kaka-sensei mutters.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asks worriedly.

"Only groups of three are allowed to take this exam."

"But you said we could decide if we wanted to take it or not."

"Yeah I did."

"You lied?" Sakura questions.

Kaka-sensei looks out the window. "If I said that, Sasuke, Naruto, and Riku might have forced you to not take it. Even if you did want to take the exam, if Sasuke asked you, you wouldn't take it… for Sasuke…Riku…and Naruto."

I slightly narrow my eyes at the words before relaxing and looking off to the side. "If only three people can go, then I'll leave." This earned me several shocked looks.

"Oi Riku. You can't do that." Naruto exclaims as he grabs my shoulders. "You can't possibly mean you won't come with us?"

"Naruto's right…" Sakura starts, reluctance and slight guilt overtaking her eyes, "If only three of us can go on, then I should drop out. You're more prepared to take on this exam than me… and… I…"

"Oi," I place my hand on Sakura' s shoulder – stopping her words as she gazes at me with surprised eyes. "Don't downplay yourself. You're better prepared than you think. Out of all of us, you have the best analytical mind. You're the best out of all of us in genjutsu and you have the best chakra control on this team. You care deeply for everyone here and I…I know that will make everything fine."

"Riku…" Sakura trails off, sadness evident in her voice.

"Ahh… don't wear such an expression. You'll ruin your face ne?" I joke, earning a light smack in the shoulder, courtesy of Sakura.

Her face still held reluctance; it seemed as if she was mentally fighting with herself over something. "No…" She finally speaks out.

"Sakura… just-"

Naruto's lowers his arms before he faces me. "Then I won't take the exam!" Naruto exclaims as he glares at Kaka-sensei. "What kind of friend would I be if I leave someone behind, especially Riku."

"Naru…" I trail off.

"If that's the case, then I can't take it either." Sasuke adds calmly.

"Sasuke…" I trail off before a small smile makes its way onto my face. 'Arigato…everyone.'

Sweat dropping at the glares sent his way, Kaka-sensei holds his hands out in an appeasing manner. "Oi you didn't let me finish. Normally only groups of three are only allowed to take the exam. But I pulled some strings and made it so all four of you can take the exam together. All of you came here of your own free will…Sakura…Riku…Naruto…and Sasuke…well done." Kaka-sensei sends us one of his eye smiles as he lowers his hands. "I'm proud to have you four on my team. Now go."

He moves out of the way to let us walk through the door to enter the Chunin exam. All of us exchange a look of reassurance before heading through the door. When we enter the room, we are greeted with the _pleasant_ sight of numerous venomous glares. All the seats were taken and the sheer number of applicants in the room surprised me.

"There's so many people. Are they all here for the exam?" Sakura asks hesitantly.

"Don't show fear. They can smell it you know." I say absent-mindedly, earning a withering glare from Sakura.

"Riku this is no time for jokes." Sakura scolds.

I slightly smile at her angered expression. "Ahh.. but it did calm you down did it not?" I state with a smirk, causing her to drop her expression into an exasperated one.

"You did that on purpose." Sakura slightly sulks.

"Ahh… if you say so." I reply before looking at the other participants. My eyes instantly land on Gaara who was seated towards the back of the room with Kankuro and the blonde-haired ninja. Gaara's turquoise eyes match my silver gaze, but before I could read his eyes…

"Sasuke-kun you're late!"

The loud squeal brings me back to reality as I turn to my left to see a giggling Ino clinging onto Sasuke's back. Ill-disguised disgust and annoyance coats his face as he attempts to pry the girl off his person with little luck. Who would have thought Sasuke had met his match…in a fangirl.

"I've been eagerly waiting for you ever since I heard that I could see you again." Ino coos sweetly, tightening her hold around Sasuke.

This in turn causes Sakura to yell at Ino to get off of her Sasuke-kun and so on. During the whole argument, Sasuke mouths at me to help him out of the mess. Seeing as how it was fun to watch his squirm, I tell him to bear with it before walking away to talk to Shika. I knew Sasuke was going to get me back for that later on, but the likelihood of that occurring anytime soon was slim.

Shika's gaze lifts to match mine as he hears my approaching footsteps. "Riku. Looks like you're no longer a boy?" Shika states bored as he rubs the back of his head absently.

"You've seen me like this already Shika. It shouldn't be a surprise." I state with a shrug.

"Yeah…" He trails off before continuing, "so how are things…?" He asks hesitantly, causing me to quirk an eyebrow. Chouji stops eating for a moment to glance at Shika before placing the chip in his mouth. I wave at Chouji to say hi and he merely nods as he puts another chip in his mouth.

"Are you alright Shika? You usually don't ask me this…" I ask as I glance back at him. "You're not getting sick are you?"

He looks away and shrugs. "Geez…Nothing wrong with wondering."

I slightly roll my eyes before responding,"Ahh… things are different? But everything's fine." I finish with a smile.

Shika stares at my face before sighing and hunching his shoulders.

"Geez…will you stop doing that. You know you're a bad liar. Just say how you feel for once…troublesome woman." He mutters as he lightly hits me on the head.

I couldn't help but laugh, seeing as how he was able to read me so well when my teammates couldn't.

"Guess things are complicated… I'll tell you more about it when we play shogi again ne?"

He sighs out and nods. It was then that I notice the other rookie genin around me.

'Since when did they get here?' I blink absently at the others loudly conversing amongst themselves.

"Hey you guys."

We all turn around to see a silver haired boy address us. "You should all quiet down a little." He walks closer to our group. "So you're the ten rookies that just graduated from the academy correct?"

He pauses slightly as he takes in all of our appearances.

"You're all fooling around with those cute faces…geez, this isn't a field trip." He lightly chastises as he relaxes his shoulders.

"Who are you to tell us that?" Ino demands angrily, still perched on Sasuke's shoulders.

'If you would just give him a moment to respond…but he does seem different…' I thought to myself as I slightly narrow my eyes in suspicion, 'why would he help us out… unless he wants something in return…'

"I am Yakushi Kabuto. Look around you…"

He pauses a moment for us to look around. All the other applicants were staring, well more like glaring at us.

"The ones behind you are from the Village Hidden in the Rain. They have a short temper. Everyone is tense since it's right before the exam. I warned you so that you won't get picked on. I guess it can't be helped though, since you are just rookies who don't know anything. It makes me remember the old me." He states before looking down sheepishly.

"Kabuto-san was it?" Sakura asks as she takes several steps towards him.

He drops his hand from the back of her head before facing Sakura. "Yeah."

"Is this your second time then?" Sakura questions, curiosity adorning her face.

"It's my seventh time. This exam takes place twice a year every year, and it's my fourth year." Kabuto explains slightly embarrassed.

"That means you know a lot about this exam, right?" Sakura pushes.

Surprise flickers through his eyes before he concedes. "Yeah."

"So you must be an expert Kabuto-san." Naruto comments, eye wide with excitement.

"But he hasn't passed it." Shika adds.

"Yeah, that's true." Kabuto states awkwardly as he rubs the back of his head.

"Is the Chunin Exam that difficult? This is getting even more troublesome…" Shika mutters to himself before releasing a tired sigh.

"But it means things will get more interesting." I state with a smile. Upon hearing my comment, Kabuto switches his gaze to mine as an unreadable look enters his eyes before the glare from his glasses covers it.

'What was that?' Confusion spreads through me, but I quickly disregard it as Kabuto speaks once again.

"Maybe I should give my cute underclassmen some information then…"

Sakura and Naruto approach Kabuto and watch him in awe as he shows them his nin-info cards. I slowly step back from the group and make myself comfortable leaning against the wall. It wasn't that I wasn't interesting in the information. I just wanted some time to myself, so I closed my eyes and let the darkness take my mind. It wasn't until I heard Naruto's voice did I open my eyes.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm not going to lose to any of you! Got that?"

"Same old Naruto." I state with a smile. "Things will be fun with him around."

The wave of killing intent must have doubled after Naruto's comment. Sakura restrains him and makes an attempt to appease the glaring ninjas with no such luck. As everyone else was distracted, I notice three sound ninjas making their way over to our group.

'What are they planning…'

Kabuto notices them as well, but doesn't take any action to stop them. One of them throws several kunai at him, but he jumps away in time. Without warning, another appears in front of Kabuto to strike his face. He dodges, but his glasses crack. Eyes wide and disoriented, Kabuto falls to the ground and throws up.

'Vertigo?' My eyes widen in surprise as I see him slightly reaching towards one of his ears before stopping himself.

"He used sound to disrupt the fluids in his ear…" I mutter to myself, but it turns out Shika and Sasuke heard, seeing as they send me puzzled looks. I face them with a guarded expression. "You know how the fluids in the ear play a role in maintaining the body's balance? What do you think happens when something disrupts it?"

"The body experiences dizziness, loss of hearing, and possibly vertigo." Shika answers as he rubs the back of his head.

"Hn. So they used something invisible to attack then. Makes sense it was sound." Sasuke adds in.

I narrow my eyes as I think back to the training with psycho-sensei. 'So that's why psycho-sensei made me train with earplugs. Who would have thought she could think this many steps ahead.'

Naruto and Sakura rush over to help Kabuto up.

"You're not as good as I thought for a veteran who took the exams four years running." The bandaged sound nin states.

"Write this on your cards…the three from the Hidden Sound Village will definitely become Chunins." The other boy states.

Before anyone could say anything else, a large cloud of smoke appears in the front of the room.

"Quiet down! You punks!" The voice registers in my head, causing me to narrow my eyes.

''Please don't tell me that's Ibiki-san…" I whisper out as I straighten up.

Turns out luck wasn't on my side, since the moment the smoke cleared, I see Ibiki in all his intimidating glory with several chunin proctors behind him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I am the examiner of the first test of the Chunin Exam, Morino Ibiki." He announces with a smirk.

Fear registers in the eyes of many of the participants at his sudden appearance. I could understand why, seeing as Ibiki isn't the most … friendly looking person you could possibly meet.

"You three! Don't think you can do anything you want before the exam. Do you want us to fail you already!" Ibiki warns, irritation obvious on his face.

The sound ninjas don't appear to be intimidated and casually face him with slightly smug smiles.

"I'm sorry. I was excited, since this is my first exam." The bandaged sound ninja responds.

This only causes Ibiki to smirk as a sinister glint enters his eyes.

"This is a good time as any to tell you the rules. You are not allowed to fight each other during the exam unless given permission by the examiners. Even if the permission is given, you are not allowed to kill each other." He faces everyone in the room with his hands behind his back. "Pigs who go against me will fail immediately. Understood?"

His gaze wanders over to mine and I immediately notice the amusement dancing in his eyes. A larger smirk spreads across his face as he takes in my appearance. A silent challenge is announced between us as our gazes lock.

'Bring it on.' I mouth to him, causing the amusement to further deepen in his eyes.

A slight scoff escapes his lips before he shifts his gaze to the other participants. "We will now begin the first exam. Turn in your applications. Take one of these number tags, and sit where the number tells you to." Ibiki states while holding out a number. "Then we will pass out the papers for the written exam."

"Written..? Papers…?" Naruto mutters, eyes growing wider as realization sets in.

All of us look in Naruto's direction before he yells: "A paper test!"

"He never was good at those…." I mutter out before shrugging. "I wonder how you'll do Naruto…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter wasn't as eventful, but it was needed to get the plot going. The first exam is about to start and Riku's going to have a little mind game with Ibiki. Wonder how Riku's going to react when she finds out Anko's going to be the one in charge of the second exam. (^.^) There's going to be some fluff in the next chapter where I'll let Riku sort out some of her thoughts and reveal a bit more of her memories.<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you guys again when I update. Till then…**

**Ja ne.~**

**{~}**

_New Note: Alterations were made in some of the scenes in this chapter. After rereading it, I realized Riku seemed to be too strong in the beginning and seemed like she was forced into some of the scenes. To fix that, I altered Riku's actions a bit and her thoughts so the chapter would flow a bit better. Hopefully the changes make the story more interesting. I'm also debating on whether or not to take Neji out from Riku's past since it seems she's linked with too many people and that seems a bit unrealistic; however, there is the fact that she was from a prestigious clan so her being associated with Neji's clan makes sense as well as with her association with the Uchiha clan. I'm planning on altering the structure of the Amarante clan so its existence in the Village Hidden in the Leaves makes more sense. Since the Amarante clan has the ability to control any of the elements, there has to be a reason why they decided to settle in the one area specifically rather than divide and settle in the villages associated with the elements they wield. I don't think I explain that thoroughly so far, but in the chapter where Riku returns to the compound, it will be explained._


	9. Chapter 9: A Mental Game with the Master

-Chapter 9: A Mental Game with the Master-

**AN: Thank you for everyone who has read up to this point in the story. It means a lot to me. (^.^) Special thanks to ****lilmeika**** and ****Nyghtmaera**** for reviewing and I want to address some of their concerns/comments.**

**lilmeika: First off, thanks for actually taking the time to review my story. It means a lot and I don't mind your comments. It helps me keep the story in the perspective of my readers. It takes a lot to offend me and I'm just happy to get some feedback. Also, it's fine if you don't review again. I know it takes time to actually sit down and send a review. Thanks for giving my story a chance. (^.^) **

**When I created Riku I knew she was on the borderline of a mary-sue and I was trying to figure out how to balance everything. Plus, I wanted others to know that although Riku is a strong fighter, she's still a girl and she has to deal with her emotions. As the story goes on, I'll be revealing a bit more of her weak side, considering how she keeps bottling everything up. Guess we'll see what happens. **

**Yes, Naruto and Riku's relationship has been strained. Naruto concentrates all his time on Sakura and doesn't realize how Riku's been hurting. The chuunin exam in general will help their friendship. I still want to give Shikamaru a chance with Riku, but not sure how that will work out. I want to know how everyone else wants the relationships to end, so I would appreciate your opinions on that. **

**Yes..I am sad to say that all the good characters die, but sometimes it has to be done so that the student can surpass the master in some cases? (hero's journey - had to learn about that in school..) But this time around, some deaths might be reconstructed. You just have to keep reading to find out. **

**Anko does love torturing her student and it is fun to watch from time to time. She does have a soft spot for her student and we'll see a bit of that in this chapter. Ibiki has taught Riku almost everything he knows. But in exchange, he knows her weak points and the mask she carries. **

**Riku has matured a bit faster than the other boys, but she still doesn't understand that life isn't a game. She picked up that mindset from Anko and she uses it to make life more interesting. I agree with your comment that some games shouldn't be played and treating life as one can be dangerous. She's going to get knocked down a few pegs soon but it'll help her realize it a bit. I'll try not take her playful nature too far. **

**Also, I never planned to give Riku a curse mark. I thought about it, but then it seemed to make the story a bit too weird in my opinion. Things would just get too complicated and the story would fall apart. Riku won't get a curse seal. That I promise you. Let's just say something... prevents her from getting one. Orochimaru will play a big part in cracking Riku's mask. Hopefully she'll learn from this..or she'll act like any normal teenager and ignore it... **

**That was a long reply, but I hope it answered some of your questions/doubts/concerns.**

**Nyghtmaera****: Thanks for reading my story and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Riku will still be playing some games, but the next chapter will be more interesting. Anko and Riku do share a sort of moment in this chapter and hopefully I kept Anko in character as well.**

**That's all I wanted to say and sorry for the long introduction. As I have said before, this chapter is somewhat fluffy, but the next chapter will be a lot more interesting. (^.^)**

*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 2)*

**{~}**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

**(-.-); or (-.-;) = Riku sweat dropping **

**(= -.- =) = Naruto's expressions **

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p><em>A friend is someone who, upon seeing another friend in immense pain, would rather be the one experiencing the pain than to have to watch their friend suffer.<em>

_~Unknown_

_**'My eyes hold no lies… the pain I shoulder… my desire to protect my precious people… they cannot be taken away from me… after all… what will I have left?'**_

_**~Riku Amarante **_

* * *

><p>~In examination room~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

As I take my seat near the windows, I look around to see Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto taking seats towards the middle or front of the room. When all of us were seated, Ibiki stands in the front of the room, immediately commanding all the attention in the room. Relishing in the fear reflecting in the eyes of most of the participants, Ibiki allows a smirk to enter his face.

"The first exam has a few important rules. I will not accept questions, so listen carefully." Ibiki warns as he taps the chalk on the board. His face falls into that of an interrogator, a face that held no tolerance for those who broke his rules, a face that held no compassion, a face that was perfectly blank. Quite a chilling face …if you weren't used to it.

"First rule is you are given 10 points at the start. The written exam consists of 10 questions, so each is worth one point. This test is a deduction-based test. If you get one problem wrong, you will get one point deducted."

To ensure maximum clarity, Ibiki even writes down examples of how the test would be scored on the board. 'Hey that rhymed.' I thought with a small smile.

"If you get three problems wrong, your points will be reduced to seven." He explains before facing the whole room. His brief moment of silence allows a heavy atmosphere to blanket the area.

"Second rule: the pass-fail decision will be determined by your team's total points."

"Wait! Your team's total points? Why?" Sakura exclaims as she slams her hand against the desk's surface.

'Nani? He wouldn't do that unless he wants to put extra pressure on every single person on the team…' I thought in slight confusion. '…What are you playing at now?'

"Shut up. There is a reason for this so I suggest you listen." He grits out with narrowed eyes, quickly silencing Sakura. "Now that you know, let's move on to the next rule. If an examiner determines that you cheated or do something similar during the test…each action will cause you to lose two points." I look to my left and see Izumo-san waving at me.

"I'll be watching you the whole time Riku-chan." He states with a smirk.

'Yeah…that definitely didn't make him sound life a pervert…not…' (-_-;) I thought with a slight grimace.

Another brief silence overtakes the room, allowing everyone to take in the gravity of the situation before Ibiki continues, "In other words, there will be people who will be forced to leave this place without their test being graded. Those who try to cheat without thinking carefully will only hurt themselves."

I look down. 'You're speaking from experience…aren't you…'

"You are all trying to become Chunins. If you are a ninja, act like a first-rate one."

Ibiki then glances at Naruto before smirking.

'Guess he's about to scare Naruto.'

"Also, if anyone in a team gets a zero, everyone on that team will fail."

As the words leave Ibiki's lips, Naruto form immediately starts trembling.

'Already? That was fast…thought it'll take him five more minutes to start doing that…' I thought as I place my chin on my hand. 'You'll pull through somehow… just like always…'

"What did you say?" Sakura asks.

Ibiki simply ignores her outburst and continue to speak. "The last problem will be given 45 minutes after the exam begins. You have one hour."

Ibiki watches the clock before telling us to start. All of us flip over our papers to start the exam.

'The parabola, B, represents a shuriken's maximum throwing distance of the enemy ninja, A, from a height of 7 meter. Figure out the trait of the enemy ninja that can be observed from the ellipse formed by the shuriken, and figure out the maximum throwing distance on flat ground. Explain your reasoning. Yup that sums it up… Naruto's dead. He won't be able to figure out this question let alone the others.'

I continue to read the other questions before shaking my head.

'I only understand about three from first glance and that's because Ibiki-san had to drill this stuff in my head for months. Ahh… a sensei's love for his student prevails…' I thought sarcastically as I fill in the answers before fiddling with the pencil in my hand. 'As for the other questions… they require a higher level of knowledge that an ordinary genin shouldn't have. If that holds true, then very few people can answer these questions on their own.' I stop fiddling with my pencil as a small smile creeps on my face. 'So that's it…you want us to cheat. Ahh… deceit it is then.'

Seeing as I needed the answers to the other questions, I close my eyes as I search for the area with the most disturbances in the water particles. It didn't take me long, seeing as there were very few participants scribbling furiously in the room, though it did help that one of the participants who knew the answers sat right in front of me. Opening my eyes, I glance up towards the front of the room to see Ibiki slowing his steps before glancing down at Naruto's nervous form.

'You really do love messing with people Ibiki-san…' A small smile graces my face as Naruto looks up to meet Ibiki's intense glare, causing Naruto to repeatedly hit himself in the head.

'When did he become this eccentric? How much did I miss in two days…'

I let out a sigh before focusing my attention back on the ninja in front of me. I manipulate the water in the air to form a thin webbing on the surface of his hand before linking it with mine. After positioning my hand in the correct place on the test form, the webbing pulls my hand, allowing me to mimic the strokes the other ninja was making on the paper. Although this was the first time using my element like this, I did allow me to get the answers I needed. Another possible approach was to read the electrical impulses in his hand, but seeing as I was lacking in that area, his hand might have accidently burned off. If that didn't set off alarms to the other chunins, then I don't know what would.

As I finish with the last question, I release the water web before glancing down at my completed exam. I stare at the answers before taking my pencil and crossing out several sections of the answers while circling specific characters. Satisfied with my work, I lean back in my seat and subtly glance around the room to see how Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were doing. Naruto was still in the front shaking like a leaf. Meanwhile, Sakura was furiously writing down the answers to the questions – reaffirming the belief that she already knew how to solve the problems without outside assistance. On the other hand, Sasuke seemed like he was using his sharingan to copy someone's handwriting. Honestly, staring at a person's back while writing does give off some suspicion, just saying. It didn't seem like the chunins in the room were paying attention to him though. Other genins were figuring the purpose of the test as well, seeing as how the sound of moving pencils was growing. Adding to the growing sound of scratching pencils, I quickly circle more sections of the exam before placing my pencil down once again.

'When is someone going to get caught? This is boring…' I thought with a sigh.

Right on cue, a kunai flies towards the seat behind Naruto, causing the boy seated there to stand up.

"What's the meaning of this?" He growls out, frustration evident in his voice.

The chunin standing in front of the room smirks.

"You cheated five times. You fail."

"Nani..?"

"Teammates of his, get out of here!"

"Number 23 fail. Number 34 and 27, fail."

"No!" A genin shouts as he gets dragged out of the room by two chunin.

"Hey, man, do you have any proof that I cheated five times?" A sand ninja asks angrily.

'Oh? A rebellious one.' A smirk enters my face. 'Unfortunately offenders in this game aren't tolerated.'

"Are you even able to watch this many pe-"

Before he could complete his sentence, the chunin elbows the ninja's throat into the wall.

"Listen up, we are Chunins that were chosen for this exam. Elites, so to say. We won't miss a single thing you do." He releases his hold on the boy, causing him to slump down in a heap. "My strength is the proof."

I glance over at Naruto to see the trembling increase.

'What will you do now Naruto…cheat recklessly or… prove you don't need me anymore…'

I couldn't help but smile sadly at him as I see him refusing Hinata's offer to cheat off her paper. It seemed as if he was starting to mature even without my assistance.

"Number 59 fail."

"Number 33 and 9, fail."

"Number 41 fail."

"Number 35 and 62, fail."

-45 minutes have passed since the start of the exam.-

"Okay. I will now give the tenth question!"

'Bring it sensei.' I thought as I match his gaze, causing him to slightly tilt his lips upward before resuming his blank expression.

"But before that, there's one thing I must say…there will be one special rule for this last question."

Ibiki pauses and faces the back of the room.

"You're lucky." A smirk eventers his face, "Your puppet show didn't have to go to waste."

Everyone turns back to see Kankuro beside a chunin. Kankuro's eyes widen as he registers Ibiki's words and sweat begins to trail down his temple.

'Puppet? So that wasn't a chuunin then…'

"Oh well, sit down." Ibiki states nonchalantly as he watches Kankuro stiffly walk down the aisle.

"I will now explain… this is a hopeless rule. First, you are all going to choose if you wish to take this tenth problem or not."

"Choose? So what happens if we don't take the tenth problem?" The female sand ninja asks. I never did get her name…

"If you choose not to take it, your points will be reduced to zero. In other words, you will fail…along with your other teammates."

Outburst could be heard throughout the room.

"Of course we're going to choose to take it!"

"What's up with that?"

"They really don't know Ibiki…there's always a catch…" I mutter as a smirk forms on my lips.

Ibiki faces my way before continuing.

"And there is another rule…if you chose to take it and get it wrong… you will lose the privilege to take the Chunin Exam forever."

"What kind of dumb rule is that? There should be those here who have taken the Chunin Exams in the past!" Kiba asks as he slams his hands on the table.

The outburst doesn't seem to bother Ibiki at all. In fact, it caused him to start chuckling.

"You were all unlucky. This year I am the rule. This is why I gave you the option of not taking it."

Kiba recoils slightly before sitting down.

"Those who are not confident can choose not to take it, and take the exam next year…or the year after that."

He pauses for a moment to set the news sink in.

"Let's begin. Those who will not be taking the tenth question, raise your hands. After we confirm your numbers, we will have you leave."

Silence envelops the room. It seemed as if the new rules have yet to affect the participants in the room.

'Why don't I help speed this process up a little…' I glance at Naruto.

'Prove to me…to everyone that you have what it takes to be Hokage…Naruto…don't fall for the trap…'

"You're making this question seem like it's impossible to solve. It can't be harder than the other questions correct?" I state as I fold my hands under my chin.

Ibiki smirks in response, catching on what I was trying to do.

"This question will be …different than the others you have received. You will have to respond to it verbally to one of the chunins in a separate room. And some of you will have the pleasure of speaking with me."

Silence continues to dominate the room as the tension increases. I glance towards Naruto and see him shaking once again.

'Don't fall for the trap…Naruto… I know you will make it.'

"I…I… I quit! I won't take it!" A Konoha genin next to Naruto states.

"Number 50 fail. Number 130 and 111 fail along with him." Izumo states.

"I'm sorry… Gennai, Inaho.." The ninjas walk towards the door.

"I never knew you had it in you Riku." Izumo states with a smirk. "What brought this on?"

I shift my eyes towards him before facing forwards once again. "If they can't make a decision between their own futures and their teammates… " I mutter out. "then they're nothing but trash… let alone failed candidates."

Izumo looks at me sadly. "Did that mission mean that much for you to still remember it?"

I look towards him, a smile playing across my face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

You can call it denial or whatever you want, but now was not the time to be weak. That mission… although it wasn't my own, I knew the feelings that connected with the events that occurred. Despite Ibiki's appearance, he wanted to prevent that mission from repeating. He's protecting us… all of us in this room in his own way. Who knew he was this considerate? By now, several others have cracked under the pressure and left the room. I glance over at Naruto and see him raising his hand.

'…Is he really giving up…? He wouldn't…would he?'

Next thing I know, I see Naruto slamming his hand on the desk.

"Screw you! I'm not going to run away! I'll take this problem. Even if I become a genin forever, I'm going to become Hokage no matter what anyway! I'm not scared!" He announces before sitting back down with his arms crossed.

I can't help but chuckle at his display of confidence.

"You really have a way with words…Naru." I mutter out as I glance at him. 'He made such a strong psychological play without even realizing it. As humans, we're more likely to follow through with a decision when we see another individual do so. He's set it up so no one else in this room will leave; he gave them courage to keep going.'

"I will ask you this one more time. This choice will impact the rest of your life. If you want to quit, then now's your last chance…" Ibiki states sternly.

"I'm not going to take back my words." Naruto replies calmly. "That's my ninja way."

Ibiki takes a step forward as he glances around the room until his gaze stops on me.

'Game over sensei.' I mouth out to him. He smirks in response before facing the room again.

"Nice determination. For the first exam, everyone here… passes!"

"Wait, what's the meaning of this! We pass already? What about the tenth question?" Sakura asks angrily.

Ibiki simply smiles at Sakura's comment before laughing. He really must love his job.

"There was no such thing to begin with. Or you can call the two-choice question the tenth question." Ibiki states with a small shrug.

"Wait. So what were those previous nine problems? It was all a waste!" The female sand ninja yells out. Still do not know her name…

Ibiki looks towards the window as he explains how the previous questions were to test our skills in information gathering. The first rule was created to place unprecedented pressure on all the members of the team. He reveals that not many genin could solve the problems themselves, so the only option they had was to cheat to gain points. When Ibiki reveals how they had to sneak in three chunins who knew the answers into the testing room, some began claiming they knew the whole purpose of the test in the first place. Even Naruto tried to convince everyone he knew the purpose of the test as well, causing me to release a small chuckle in response.

"But those who cheated like a fool failed, of course. Why?" Ibiki takes his headband off, revealing the scars, burn marks, and screw holes. "Information can have greater value than life at times, and in missions and battlefields…Information is contested with people's lives."

"Ibiki-san…" I whisper out.

No matter how many times I see it, I never could get used to the sight. It was just proof how cruel how ninjas could be, but at the same time it's just how life is.

He ties his headband around his scars as he continues to explain.

"The information that an enemy gets after being noticed by a third person will not necessarily be accurate. Remember this. Getting incorrect information can cause great damage to your teammates and village. So, we made you all gather information in the form of cheating. We kicked out those who were lacking in that field. That's what went on."

"But I still can't agree to that last question…" The female sand ninja states.

"But the tenth question was the main question of this first exam." Ibiki states with his arms out.

"But what do you mean?" Sakura asks.

"Let me explain. The tenth question was a 'take or not take' choice. Needless to say, it was a painful two-choice problem. Those who did not take it failed with their teams. If you chose to take it and could not answer it… your right to take the exam would have been taken away forever. It was a very difficult choice."

Ibiki slightly paces in the front of the room.

"How about this two-choice problem…let's assume you have become a Chunin. Your mission is to capture a secret document. The number of enemy ninja, their abilities, and armaments are unknown. There may be traps that the enemy ninja have set up as well. Now will you accept the mission or not? Just because your life and the lives of your teammates may be in danger, are you able to avoid the dangerous mission? The answer is…."

"No." Ibiki and I state at the same time. Several of the ninjas situated around me glance my way when they hear how eerily on sync I was with the proctor. I merely smile innocently before Ibiki calls back their attention as he continues.

"There are missions that can carry heavy risks, but cannot be avoided. The ability to show your courage to your teammates when needed, and the ability to get through a bad situation… that is what we look for in a chunin, a squad leader. Those who cannot bet their fate in a critical situation…those who give up when given the chance because there is a next year, and let their minds sway over an uncertain future…fools who only carry a light determination like that have no right to become a chunin. That is what I believe. I am saying that you here who have chosen to take it gave the right answer for the tenth question."

Ibiki stops pacing and glances around the room with a small smile.

"You can deal with the difficulties you will face. You have broken through the entrance. The first exam of the Chunin selection exam is now over. I wish you luck."

"Alright! Wish us luck!" Naruto yells out as he dances in his seat "Alright! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"

Ibiki just smiles in amusement as he watches Naruto. Suddenly something black flies through the window.

"Please don't be her…please…" I state as I cover my face in my hands. But I couldn't help but peek through my fingers as the tarp opens up to reveal the bane of my existence.

"Everybody, there's no time to be happy. I am the second examiner, Mitarashi Anko. Let's go to the next exam." She raises her fist in the air. "Follow me!"

"You have got to be kidding me." I state as I slam my head on the desk. "What did I do to deserve this…" I groan out.

I hear Izumo-san chuckling to my left.

'At least someone's happy to see her…or he's laughing at my expense…'

No one responds and I hear Ibiki telling Anko to grasp the atmosphere. She always did come too early to everything. I glance up and see Anko counting the number of people in the room.

"79? Ibiki, you let 26 teams pass? Tsk. This first exam must have been too soft." Anko criticizes, annoyance clear on her face.

"It looks like there are a lot of excellent students this time…seeing as how one of them is our student." Ibiki responds confidently.

'Damn it. Guess the chances of her not noticing me are gone… thanks Ibiki…' I thought with a sigh.

Anko merely smirks in response. "Oh well…I'm going to make more than half of the teams fail in the next exam. I'm getting excited, especially since…" Anko breaks off as she looks at me. "I'm going to have a little fun with my darling Riku…"

"Eh? Did she say Riku?" Sakura glances my way and from there, others followed suit.

'Great…she's making me a target for the other ninjas…thanks psycho-sensei…thank you _so_ much…' I thought in annoyance.

"I will explain the details tomorrow. We will go somewhere else, so ask your sensei about the rally point and time. That is all. Everyone's dismissed…"

I get up from my seat and start walking towards the door.

"…except Amarante Riku."

I still before locking my gaze with Anko's amused one. She motions me towards her, causing me to release another sigh. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto stay back as well but I wave them off, telling him to go on ahead. Naruto and Sakura start walking away with slight reluctance, but Sasuke stays back for another moment before following the two, an unreadable expression painted across his face. I watch his retreating back before Anko snaps my attention back when she harshly pats me on my back, almost knocking me down, "Well well gaki. Who would have thought that you would make it past the first exam." A cheeky smile adorns her face as she gazes down at me.

"Well if I didn't make it then it would reflect what a horrible sensei you've been." I retort with a smirk, causing her to narrow her eyes.

"Don't get cocky now brat. You still have to pass my exam and don't worry…" A sadistic smile enters her face, "it's going to be worse than everything I've put you through."

"Aww I'm not going to get special treatment." I ask with a fake pout.

Ibiki suddenly laughs, causing both of us to quirk an eyebrow in his direction.

"You two are more alike each day." Ibiki states with a chuckle.

"I am nothing like her!" We both yell at the same time. Oddly enough, we were both pointing at each other as well.

Being the mature adults we were, we started glaring and calling each other names. Well, alright…we're not mature, but who says we're not interesting. Ibiki merely sighs in response as he watches our argument.

"She's still the same as always… " Ibiki breathes out. "still hiding behind a broken mask aren't you Riku?"

I stop my argument with Anko to lock eyes with Ibiki.

"That mask you wear… you've allowed it to break. How careless of you." He lightly reprimands before a small smile enters his face, "but you're starting to learn what I tried to teach you before. What will you choose this time Riku? A fate behind a broken mask or…" He trails off, allowing me to fill in the blank for myself.

"The same ending as before. What else?" I respond, allow a small smirk to appear on both of my sensei.

"We'll see about that gaki."

**{~}**

**(Third person perspective)**

Ibiki could be seen picking up the exams left behind by the genin. He pauses as he picks up a blank exam before releasing an amused chuckle, seeing as he allowed someone who didn't answer a single question to pass.

"Uzumaki Naruto." He mutters out before continue with his work. He once again pauses as he picks up his student's exam, slightly confused by the phrases crossed out or circled.

"That girl…" He lets a small smile to creep on his face as he gazes at the diagram the markings formed. "You predicted things this far…"

The paper held a format of the classroom with the circled areas indicating the genin who had caused their teams to fail.

"You're becoming just like her…" Ibiki trails off as a frown forms on his face. "Almost a copy…"

* * *

><p>~Next day~<p>

-At Training Ground 44: The Forest of Death-

"This is where the second exam will take place. The 44th training area…The Forest of Death." Anko announces with a flourish.

"The Forest of Death?" Naruto repeats, adding to the already tense atmosphere.

However, it didn't take long for Naruto to lighten up the mood, seeing as how a random 'rock' was following him everywhere he ran.

"Ahh… I never get enough of this…" I mutter in amusement as the watch the scene before me.

Eventually the show ends, revealing Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon asking Naruto for an interview.

"Hey there! What are you doing!" Anko yells out as she walks toward Naruto.

"Konohamaru wants to do an exclusive for his school newspaper or something." Naruto answers.

"Oh." Anko starts scratching the back of her head. "Yes, I forgot that Hokage-sama mentioned something like that." She admits sheepishly.

"Same old sensei…" (-_-;) I sigh out with a sweat drop.

Anko ignores my comment and tells everyone to take a ten minute break.

"If you are asked any questions, just concede and answer them." Anko waves off before walking away.

Meanwhile, Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi take Naruto aside to interview him, while Sakura, Sasuke, and I sit nearby.

"That Naruto…he must be talking about things that didn't even happen…" Sakura mutters out angrily.

"Hmm. Who cares?" Sasuke replies smoothly.

"Don't lie. You know you do Sasuke." I add as I nudged him," After all, he could be telling them about your little..incidents.. together." I finish with a wink.

"Riku…" Sasuke glares in my direction.

"I know I know. It wasn't like that or something." I state as I wave him off. I glance over and Sakura and see her mouthing at me to go somewhere else. Seeing as how Sakura wanted to spend time alone with Sasuke, I get up and head towards the deeper parts of the forest only to hear Sasuke call out to me.

"Where are you going?"

I look back and smile at him. "None of your business."

He doesn't respond and only watches as I get further and further away from him.

**{~}**

-Deeper in the forest-

**(Third person perspective)**

Riku could be seen leaning against a tree trunk. Her right arm was draped over her eyes and it seems as if she was already asleep. However, her breathing wasn't as slow and rhythmic as it should have been.

"_What a mistake…to allow her to live. You understand her fate, don't you?" _

"_Your fate is to be a phantom; you don't exist." _

Her left hand continues to clench and unclench the dirt.

"_Dream? How preposterous! A creature like you doesn't deserve one." _

"_You're a weapon. All you do is kill and taint those around you. That is your fate. To kill." _

*snap*

"_KILL!"_

Riku's eyes fly open before she harshly pins the person down on the ground. Her legs straddle the person's hips as her hands clench around his neck. A crazed look enters her eyes as her hold on the person's throat continues to tighten, not registering who the individual was.

"R..Riku?" The boy breathes out.

The boy's voice breaks Riku out of her trance and she slowly removes her hands from his throat.

"Shika…" Riku mutters out. "I-I…thought…"

Shikamaru doesn't make a move to stand up and impassively gazes at Riku's face. He notices several tears leaking from her eyes and slowly reaches his hand up to brush it away.

"You're crying." He points out as he shows her the tears resting on his index finger. Surprise lingers in her eyes at his words before it slowly disappears.

"I guess so." Riku laughs out dryly, allowing her hair to shield her face from view.

Worry lancing his eyes, Shikamaru hesitantly strains out, "Want…to talk about it?"

The uncomfortable and tensed tone causes a small laugh to escape Riku's lips as she gazes down the boy below her with a slightly teasing smile. "Ahh…why does it sound like you were trying not to throw up when you asked that?"

"You can drop the smile Riku. There's no one else around here. That mask you carry every day... just drop it alright?" Irritation leaks into his voice as annoyance coats his eyes. Every single time he saw her, that mask of hers, that fake smile… that fake persona of hers…it aggravated him. She was always protecting herself, guarding herself from others. It wasn't his business as to why she did that, but it was his business once he saw the suffering and conflict flashing behind her eyes in the few moments she released her guard. He knew of her reluctance to trust others, her reluctance to make herself have a weakness. Even so, that had unknowingly become her weakness. Fatigue was wearing down on her; after putting up a façade for so long, cracks were appearing to a point where it could easily be spotted (for Shikamaru at least). "I can see through it. I'm not as dense as your teammates." Shikamaru announces, causing Riku's face to slightly fall as her face retains the smile.

"It's funny you know. We're supposed to be enemies right now, but you're still… Shika."

"Who else would I be?" Shikamaru states absently.

"Hmm. I really don't know. Maybe Sasuke at the rate you're going… seeing as how you act cold in front of everyone else." Riku replies in a teasing tone as she trails her fingers across the slight bruises forming around his throat. Shikamaru makes a face, causing Riku to laugh.

"Take it as a compliment. A lot of girls like him." Riku states before a sad smile enters her face. "Gomen ne… I didn't mean to hurt you…" Riku trails off as water covers her hand as she busies herself with healing his neck.

Guilt shadows her face as Shikamaru says nothing. He only stares at her face, noticing the slight bags under her eyes, causing him to slightly sigh out before finally responding. "Troublesome woman." He lightly hits her forehead with the back of his hand. "Worry about yourself more."

"Same could be said to you. You better come out of this exam alive."

"As long as you don't strangle me again, I'll live." He rebukes offhandedly, causing Riku to release a sigh before throwing the water on her hand at the boy's face. He sputters in response before sending a mock glare at the girl before him.

"Not going to do anything about it?" Riku teases, as she shakes several droplets over his face. He scrunches his face slightly before releasing a sigh.

"Too troublesome." The reply causes the girl to release a small laugh.

"Of course," She pauses before a contemplative look enters her face. "Ne Shika? Do you remember how we met?"

Shikamaru quirks an eyebrow. "Why ask this now?" He responds, as he rubs the back of his head.

"Ahh… just because~" Riku sings out, causing the boy before her to quirk an eyebrow at the girl's shift in mood.

"Geez… just come out with it. Are all women this confusing?" Shikamaru huffs.

"Ahh…Are all men this impatient?" Riku retorts with a bored expression. The two figures stare blankly at one another before small smiles crack on both their faces.

"The park." Shikamaru finally mutters, causing Riku to tilt her head in confusion. "That's where I met you."

"Ahh… that didn't answer how though."

"I thought you liked puzzles." Shikamaru retorts, causing her smile to widen.

"Of course, I-" Riku breaks of mid-sentence and her eyes narrow.

"Guess our time's up."

She gets off of Shikamaru and helps him up. Confusion adorns his face as he opens his mouth to speak, only to stop as he sees the guarded expression adorning Riku's face.

"Listen…back there. I didn't mean to do that to you…it's …"

Before she finishes, Shikamaru pats her on the head, causing her eyes to widen. "Riku. You talk too much...it's troublesome."

With that, he walks back towards the gates of the training area.

"You really are confusing Shika…what exactly are you thinking about….?" Riku mutters to herself before facing the bushes. "Ahh… you can come out any time now."

The rustling of leaves can be heard before Naruto's form stands before her as he bashfully rubs the back of his head, similar to how a nervous child would when caught eavesdropping on a conversation.

"I'm guessing you finished the interview?" Riku asks absently.

She receives no answer, causing her to glance over at Naruto. As their eyes connect, Naruto's form immediately tenses before he rushes forward to grab the girl's shoulders.

"Riku? Why… were you crying?"

Riku cocks her head slightly to the side. "What are you talking about Naruto?"

A frown forms on his face. "I've seen that expression on myself before…" He pauses for a moment before looking away. "When have you…why are you hiding this from me? We're best friends right?" He asks he tightens his hold on her shoulders.

Riku gazes down at his hands before placing one of her hands on Naruto's, causing him to look back at the girl.

"Naruto… we will always be friends. I-"

"Then why hide it? You've been distant lately and it's driving me insane! If you want to say something, just say it already!" Naruto interrupts.

Riku stares blankly at Naruto before enveloping him in a hug, causing him to stiffen upon contact. Confused and surprised by the gesture, Naruto glances at the girl clinging onto him before hesitantly bringing his arms around her back in a loose embrace. 'This is so weird… it feels like I'm hugging a guy… well she was one…but… ughh nevermind that's confusing.' Naruto slightly grimaces at the thought before glancing down at the girl hesitantly.

"You've been distant too. I don't want to lose you." Riku murmurs out, causing the surprised blonde to slowly tighten his hold on the girl. A small frown forms on Naruto's face as he attempts to see Riku's expression to no avail. Multiple questions continue swimming in his head – many of which sought out possible reasons for his friend's behavior. Riku, his best friend, was always strong, always detached, always confident… a guy… but now a girl… if that made sense. But this girl…this Riku… before him… this girl that he's finally seeing for the first time, was insecure and fragile behind everything she portrayed. He was confused, wondering when she changed, or rather, why he never noticed before. Was this what she meant when she said he never saw her as she truly was? 'Ugh… this is so confusing… but I think I understand you more…'

Riku closes her eyes as she tightens her hold on her childhood friend, as if reassuring herself that he was still with her.

'I won't kill you too. I'll protect you. I promise.' The girl thought as the earlier voices play out in her mind once again. 'Even if he's out of my reach… I will still be there for him.' Riku lets out a sigh before pulling away from Naruto, only to have him tighten his hold around her.

"Naruto?" Riku mutters out before meeting his gaze.

"Baka." Naruto responds before resting his forehead on hers. "I'll always be around. You can't get rid of me that easily. Don't forget that." He finishes with a cheeky grin. 'Even if you don't want me around anymore.' He thought to himself as warmth spreads across his face. 'What's wrong with me? I only get like this around Sakura-chan…'

A small laugh escapes Riku's lips before she breaks away from the hug and flicks him in the forehead, causing him to release a small pout. "Naruto. You're so naïve." Riku states jokingly before taking several steps back and clasping her hands behind her back. "I'm not one that likes to share but I can make you an exception." Riku winks, causing a small blush to appear on Naruto's face.

"Eh?"

"I don't like sharing you." Riku puts simply as she locks her eyes with Naruto's azure orbs. "But I will."

"Oi what are you talking about?" Naruto mutters out, confusion lacing his words.

"Nothing you need to worry about~" Riku sings out before a calm expression enters her face. "I was joking." This causes Naruto's face to immediately fall.

"You were talking like I was some toy." Naruto deadpans, causing Riku to release a small smile as she assumes a thinking pose.

"Maybe." She closes one of her eyes as she uses her other one to glance at Naruto's shocked expression. "But you're a person… unless you're hiding something from me Naru."

"Eh?" Naruto's eyes widen before a mischievous gleam enters his eyes as he makes a move to grab his teammate, only to grab a familiar looking cat.

Anger and annoyance flashes through the feline's eyes before it claws at Naruto's face. Screams of protest escape his lips as Riku sits on a branch watching the scene unfold. "Just like before." She mutters out as a small smile enters her face.

-Time skip-

"Gomen ne." Riku mutters as the two walk back to the rest of their teammates. Naruto mutters out incoherent protests in response as he attempts to ignore the tiny scratches marring his face.

"Ne Naru… after this exam… could you come with me to the Amarante compound? I think it's time I go back."

Shock could be seen in his eyes before a cheeky grin overtakes his face. "Of course, but we have an exam to get back to." He finishes as he swings his arm over her shoulders.

"Ahh… guess we should."

Riku can't help but smile at Naruto's antics as he leads her back to the rest of the team. In that single moment, their friendship had taken a complete turn. Things were not back to the way they were before, but for now, it was enough. As Naruto glances at Riku's face, he couldn't help the slight feeling of warmth spreading through his face. 'What's wrong with me?'

As the two leave the area, another figure jumps down from his perch on the tree.

"She's grown up in an interesting way…" The grass ninja swipes his long tongue over his lips. "What will you do when you learn the truth of your clan… I can't wait to see you broken… Riku…"

His mouth curls up into a smirk before he too goes back to his team.

* * *

><p>~At the gates of the Forest of Death~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

"You will experience why this place is called the Forest of Death." Anko announces as she motions towards the fenced area.

Naruto merely snorts and mimics Anko's speech in a dramatic way. Yes, it does include him swinging his hips back and forth.

"There's no point in trying to scare us like that! I'm not scared at all!" Naruto exclaims.

"You will be in 5…4…3…" I counted off.

"Really? You sure are energetic." Anko states with a smile.

"2…1…"

Right on cue, Anko throws a kunai at Naruto's cheek before reappearing behind him.

"Boys like you die the fastest." She caresses Naruto face as she examines the blood dripping down from the cut. "After spilling that red blood I love all over the place."

Before Anko could do any more damage to Naruto, a grass ninja appears behind her with her kunai in his tongue.

"You dropped your kunai." The ninja states calmly.

"Arigato. But don't stand behind me like that. That is …unless you want to die young." Anko finishes with a fake smile, only to receive a smile in response.

"Well, I get excited when I see blood. Also, my precious hair was cut. Gomen." The grass ninja states before walking away.

"It looks like there are a lot of hot-headed people here today. This is going to be interesting."

She walks towards the gate once again.

"Before we begin the Second Exam, I'm going to pass these out to everyone. These are consent forms. Those taking this exam must sign these."

"Nande?"

"From here on, people will die. Therefore, we need people's consent before we continue. Otherwise I'd be held responsible."

Anko sends out a dry laugh before continuing.

"Now I will begin the explanation of the second exam. To be concise, you will all go through an extreme survival match. First, I'll explain the training area's geographical features." Anko rolls out a scroll containing a map of the area.

"The 44th training area is a circular region surrounded by 44 locked gate entrances. There is a river, a forest, and a tower in the middle. The tower is approximately 10 km away from the gates. Inside this limited space, you will have to go through a certain survival program. The program consists of…" Anko breaks off as she pulls out two scrolls from her jacket. "…A competition where anything goes over these scrolls."

"Scrolls?"

"Yes. The Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth. You will fight over two scrolls."

Silence.

"26 Teams in total passed the first exam. Half of those teams will get the Scroll of the Heaven, while the other half gets the Scroll of Earth. Each team will have one scroll and you simply have to fight over them."

"And? What's needed to pass?" Sasuke asks.

"Bring the Scrolls of Heaven and Earth to the tower with your teammates within 120 hours or exactly 5 days." Anko puts the scrolls away.

"Five days?" Ino shouts out.

"What about food?" Chouji asks.

"Scrounge it up yourself. There should be plenty of food." Anko replies.

"Meaning make use of the man-eating beasts, poisonous bugs, and deadly plants in the area. As well as try not to die from them right?" I state while rubbing the back of my head.

"Ehh how can you be so calm?" Naruto shouts.

"Spend a day with psycho-sensei. You'll know why when you do."

"Urgh…On second thought…I think I'll pass… five minutes was enough." Naruto replies, causing me to crack a small smile.

"Excuse me, can we quit in between?" Shika asks.

"As a rule, you are not allowed to give up during the exam. You will spend five days in the forest. While we're on this topic, here are the conditions where you can fail: First, a team that cannot bring both scrolls to the tower with the three or four teammates will fail. Second, the team that loses a teammate or produces an unrecoverable teammate will fail. Also, just as a note… you are not allowed to open the scrolls until you reach the tower."

"What happens if you look?" Naruto asks.

"There's a surprise you'll see when you look at it." Anko replies gleefully.

"Meaning don't look if you want to avoid a painful death." I say absentmindedly.

(o.o) or (-_-;) = everyone's expressions

"Exactly. If you become a Chunin, you will be handling top secret documents. It's to determine your reliability. That's it for the explanation. We will exchange three or four consent forms for one scroll at that hut…after picking your gate entrance, you all will start at the same time."

Anko sighs out deeply.

"Oh and one more thing…don't die."

With that, everyone breaks off to think about the consent form, leaving me alone with Anko.

"Hey gaki. You better not die in there." Anko states sternly.

"Aww is sensei finally getting soft on me?"

"Tsk. No, I wouldn't want to be cleaning off your blood in the forest. Besides, I reserve the pleasure of carrying out your family's tradition." Anko states with a smirk.

"I thought Kaka-sensei had that right…besides…last time I checked, it only applies to the girl's father or male guardian and you're not a guy…unless you've been hiding that from me?" I ask.

[AN: In Riku's clan, there's this old tradition concerning relationships and marriages. Before a boy can ask out a girl or marry one from the clan, he must survive one night in the clan's forest while the girl's father hunts him down. If the boy is caught or incapacitated by the father, then they lose the privilege to court/marry the girl. Also, even if the boy goes through all this, the girl has the right to reject the boy. Since Riku's father isn't alive, the responsibility falls to Kakashi. In the conversation above, Anko was referring to this tradition. Just wanted to clear that up.]

*tick mark*

"Just keep on talking gaki. We'll see who gets the last laugh after this exam."

I smile sadly in reply. "You're right."

Anko pauses as she gazes at my face before sighing out.

"No matter what happens in there… I know you won't die." She states calmly as she pats my back.

"Arigato Anko-sensei." She merely waves me off as she calls everyone to hand in the consent forms.

'She never was good at expressing her emotions…guess we have that in common too…' I thought with a rueful smile.

After Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and I hand in our forms, the chunin hands us a Heaven Scroll. We all decide to let Sasuke carry the scroll. Afterwards, we wait at gate 12 until the Anko gives us the signal to start. As the gates fly open, we take our first steps into the area.

"Game start." I mutter to myself.

'I wonder… how will this game end… it's not just my life on the line this time…'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I guess I'll just stop here for this chapter. This one was a little fluffy and I played around with some of the characters personalities. I hope I didn't make things too weird or seem awkward. Riku's about to face Orochimaru again and she's going to be put to the test. Hopefully she'll be able to pull through. I have worked out several different ways the fight will progress, so it might take me a bit longer to update this time around. Riku's emotions are starting to come out now… about time since she's been shutting away all that pain away for several years. She is also going to be kicked around a lot in the next chapter so heads up on that.<strong>

**Her relationship with Naruto is getting slightly better, but Naruto's still naïve as always. (-_-;) Something's been happening to Shikamaru lately. Wonder what's up with him? (^.^)**

**I hope this chapter was enjoyable and I can't wait to hear from you. I'll address the concerns/questions/comments in the next chapter as well.**

**Also, I would like to know what you guys think about the pairings. Who would you want Riku to end up with?**

**Review and I'll see you guys next time.**

**Ja ne.~**

**{~}**

_New Note:_

_I changed some of the scenes here, seeing as it was brought to my attention how Naruto's character was underdeveloped. Hopefully that scene sorted things out and not made Naruto too OOC. Keep in mind that Naruto and Riku have been together for a while and tend to be closer to each other than what would be deemed as normal. Feelings are starting to be put out there and eventually conflicts will arise. Hopefully this chapter was enjoyable and now off to the next rewrite. (:D)_

_If you have any concerns or comments, message, PM, or review._


	10. Chapter 10: Shattering One's World

-Chapter 10: Shattering One's World-

**AN: Thank you for everyone that has been reading this story. (^.^) I would like to give special thanks to ****lilmeika****, ****Moonlttiger****, and ****Tenshin-no-Tsubasa**** for reviewing. They made some interesting points and I wanted to address them here: (I hope they don't mind :x)**

**lilmeika****: Sorry if it felt like I made you want to review. (^.^;) But thanks for taking the time too. I don't mind if you don't review again as long as you continue reading my story. Also, thanks again for pointing out that mistake for me. I need to be more careful from now on about spelling and grammar. I'm somewhat feeling bad for making some of the characters seem like stalkers…but still don't like Orochimaru … no offense to those who like him though. Riku does get kicked around, but I guess it's not as much as I was planning. I'll explain that a bit more in the other comments. XD **

**What prevents her from getting a curse mark will be unclear in this chapter. The scene does happen, but the actually 'thing' will be revealed more in the next chapter. **

**Thanks for telling me your opinion on that pairings. I'll keep that in mind, but there's still a chance for other interactions to occur like you said. (^.^) Sasuke…well I somewhat like him as a character but I like Shikamaru a bit better.**

**Moonlttiger****: Thanks for reviewing and reading the story. I'll take your considering into account when I write the other chapters.**

**Tenshin-no-Tsubasa****: Thanks for reviewing again. (^.^) I always enjoy reading your reviews and your English seems fine to me. It's alright that you haven't reviewed lately; just glad you're still reading my story. Yes.. the first exam was boring but I had to write about it to get the plot going... Hopefully this chapter will be a bit more interesting. :) I took Gaara into consideration as one of the possible pairings so there's going to be a small scene with him in this chapter. I'm still going to work on Naruto's and Riku's friendship, but they're probably going to just be friends. A little bit more will be revealed about Itachi's role over Riku's memories and I hope I don't make things complicated with what Orochimaru does to Riku… **

**I wanted to add in a scene where she encounters the rain ninja and Gaara, but that would have made things a bit too complicated… plus the story would seem a bit too scattered. For that scene, I was going to make Riku a walking pin cushion again, but I ended up deleting that. (^.^;) Just wanted to let everyone know that. XD (Not sure if that mattered or not.) **

**Extra note: I checked out the song you mentioned in your review. It does relate to Riku. Usually I listen to random songs when I write this story, so I guess some of those aspects went into the story as well. (^.^;) Thanks for telling me about it. **

***Hope that answers some of your thoughts and I really like hearing your opinions ^.^ It helps me think of ideas for the story. It took me a little while to figure out how things would work out in this chapter, but I think it turned out pretty well. Sorry it's a bit short but I hope it was worth the wait. XD **

*Altered chapter (see announcement 2)*

**{~}**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p>"<em>Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed."<em>

_~Irene Peter _

"_**I always thought I knew what I was fighting for in life … who the enemy was … my allies… my purpose. But could I be wrong? Could everything I believed in be a lie? All this confusion from the simple words of a snake."**_

_**-Riku Amarante **_

* * *

><p>-Inside Forest of Death-<p>

(**First person perspective)**

A scream echoes through the forest, causing all of us to halt in our steps.

"Looks like it's starting…" I mumble to myself as I take in the sound.

Sakura turns around frantically, worry etched on her face.

"That was someone's scream right?" She asks, earning a nod from me in confirmation.

I look up towards the sky and see birds flying away from the northern part of the forest.

'Guess we should avoid that area…'

"I'm starting to get nervous now…" Sakura mutters. I glance back at Sakura to see her looking around the area nervously.

"It's nothing Sakura-chan!" Naruto states with a smile before making a face.

"You need to go don't you?" I ask with a sigh.

Naruto nods in reply before going over to a bush to relieve himself.

"Baka." I mutter to myself before looking away, earning a nod of agreement from Sasuke.

Noticing what Naruto was doing, Sakura runs over to hit him over the head.

"What are you trying to do in front of a lady?" Sakura yells. A large bump appears on the back of Naruto's head as she tells Naruto to go behind a bush.

"Huh. He never does change." I mutter to myself as I watch him leave.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Sakura asks as Naruto disappears from sight.

"I guess I'm used to it? I used to be a guy, remember?" I answer with a small shrug, causing Sasuke and Sakura to send slightly disgusted looks my way.

"Then… you…" Sakura hesitantly forces out before a blush enters her face.

"I've never watched him go if that's what you're asking." I point out, "but judging from your expression, you're thinking about it right?" The comment causes Sakura's face to twitch in annoyance as the blush consumes her face. "Ahh… so you were." I tease as she attempts to hit me on the head, only to have me catch her hand. "As much as I would love to get hit on by you…" I tease, causing her to silently fume, "it's better to get focused ne? You're not nervous anymore right?" A look of realization enters Sakura's face before she retrieves her hand from my grip.

"You did all of that just to calm me down huh?" Sakura remarks, causing me to smirk in response.

"Whatever do you mean?" My comment causes her to lightly hit me on the shoulder.

"You're unbelievable." Sakura mutters as Sasuke release a sigh at my behavior.

After several minutes, Naruto comes out of the bushes.

"I peed a lot!" Naruto exclaims with a smile.

My eyes zero in on his face, noticing the lack of scratches before flicking my eyes to the kunai holster on his left leg. 'It's not him.' I narrow my eyes at the fake as he walks over to Sakura with a sheepish look on his face. 'Such a low leveled trick...' I muse before catching Sasuke's gaze. Sasuke sends me a barely distinguishable nod before flicking his eyes over to the fake, asking if I wanted to dispose of him or should he. Smirking, I mouth several words to him.

_He's all yours._

With that, Sasuke reappears behind the imposter and punches him into a nearby tree.

Sakura looks between the imposter and Sasuke in shock. "Sasuke-kun! You didn't have to go that far!"

"Ah, Sakura…" I wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to whisper into her ear. "Look at him closely…when has Naruto ever been left handed?" Her eyes widen in realization before she looks over at "Naruto" again, slowly noticing the distinct differences as Sasuke continues his attacks.

"So... where's the real Naruto?" Sakura asks just as softly, trying not to catch the imposter's notice as he continues to convince Sasuke of making a mistake.

"Ah... he's around." I answer vaguely, hoping the fake didn't get a chance to do any actual harm to Naruto. At the thought, the muscles in my shoulders tense, catching Sakura's attention.

"Riku?"

"I'll find him, but before I go..." I trail off before raising my voice. "Take care of the fake while I'm gone you two." I finish with a smirk as I notice the fake's eyes widen in surprise. Untangling my arm from Sakura, I go off to find Naruto, easily finding him tied up on the ground. A sense of relief washes through me as I notice the lack of wounds. 'He probably just tied Naruto up so he can be dealt with later.' I thought before leaning against a nearby tree.

"Need some help?" I call out, stopping his attempts to wiggle himself free of the restraints.

He glances up at me with a smile. "Riku! It's about time you got here."

I let out an amused chuckle. "Ah... gomen ne for being late." I throw a kunai at the ropes before helping Naruto up. "How about we help Sasuke out ne? Maybe even play a little prank on your attacker?" I add with a wink before tossing Naruto a stack of tags with kunai summoning seals painted across them.

"Just like that old prank huh?" He sends me his signature cheesy smile. "This will be great!"

With that, we set off, though it didn't take us very long to find Sasuke seeing has how he somehow ended up right above us. Twisting his body in the air, Sasuke lands in a crouch before the rain ninja stands behind him with a kunai near his throat.

Unperturbed, he releases a grunt. "You're late." Sasuke mutters in annoyance.

"Nan-"

Before the rain ninja can reply I strike the ground with my ice claws, causing him to jump away.

"A thank you won't hurt you know Sasu-chan." I answer before forming an ice platform. "Dodge left once you hit the third platform."

"Hn. Naruto huh?"

"Ah..."

"Got it." Smirking, he wordlessly pushes off the forming ice platforms to follow after the airborne ninja.

Once Sasuke hits the third platform, Naruto trips the ninja wire, sending a horde of kunai raining down on the rain nin.

"N-nani?!" The ame-nin stares at the incoming kunai in surprise, causing Naruto to do a fist pump.

"Alright we got him!" Naruto cheers before the ame-nin pushes off of my platform to avoid the incoming kunai, allowing them to embed themselves in the ice. But in doing so, the ame-nin places himself right in front of Sasuke.

"You actually fell for it." Naruto smiles as he throws Sasuke a kunai, which he catches with his chakra-laced foot before sending it at the ame-nin. He dodges it, but in doing so, he gives Sasuke an opening to stab him in the chest.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yells.

"Don't just stand there, Sakura! He might not be alone!" Sasuke shouts back as blood drips onto his face.

The rain ninja takes this chance to escape into the dense forest.

"That was fast…" I mutter to myself as my ice reverts back to water before heading over to Naruto. He sends me a questioning look before I flick him in the forehead, rolling his head back a bit.

"What was that for?" Naruto pouts as he rubs his head.

"For worrying me." I answer blankly before releasing a sigh. "But at least you're alright…" I mutter. Naruto looks at me curiously before tossing his arm around my shoulders.

Grinning, he rests his chin on my shoulder. "Don't worry. It'll take more than this exam to get rid of me. Look at these guns." Naruto flexes his free arm, causing me to let out a small laugh.

"You're wearing a jacket." I point out, earning a pout.

"Geez, you can't let me have this one?" He asks before ushering me to the others. "Still, isn't this great? We get a chance to use all my crazy pranking skills."

I bump my head against him before releasing a sigh. "Sure, sure." I mutter, trying to push away the uneasiness settling in the pit of my stomach. I glance over at Sasuke to see him furrowing his brows in thought whereas Sakura looks around in worry.

"I can't believe we've already been attacked... the exam just started several minutes ago." Sakura mutters nervously.

"Ah that's true, but it's to be expected." I add with a frown. "From here on, it's a war zone. Other teams are going to exploit any opening they see. We have a slight advantage since we're a team of four rather than three, but we need to be more cautious."

"That's right..." Sakura furrows her brows in thought. "There's going to be times where we need to separate to get food and water or when an enemy attacks..." She trails off. "We were lucky this time, since the fake used such a low-leveled transformation jutsu to imitate Naruto."

"Hehe..." Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly before looking at Sakura with hopeful eyes. "Were you worried about me Sakura-chan?"

"Baka! This isn't the time for that!" She scolds before whacking him in the back of the head.

"Ita...Sakura-chan..." He whines.

I let out a sigh before dislodging Naruto's arm from my shoulders and sitting down with the others.

Ignoring their bickering, Sasuke continues. "If the four of us get separated, don't trust anyone even if he looks like one of us. There's a possibility an enemy will transform into one of us and approach."

Sakura's frown deepens. "So what should we do?"

"Let's decide on a password." Sasuke answers, "If a different password is given, assume that he's an enemy no matter what he looks like, got it?"

"How about we carry a decoy as well? That might come in handy later." I add, pulling out a white scroll from my pouch and showing the others. "I have a scroll that looks similar to the Heaven Scroll. All I have to do is write the correct kanji on it and you won't be able to tell the difference."

"What's that scroll used for?" Naruto asks as he takes it from my hand. He makes a move to open it.

"I ... wouldn't do that if I were you…unless you want to suddenly die…" I state with a shrug.

Naruto's eyes suddenly bulge as he moves his hand from the flap of the scroll. "Nani? Why would you carry something like that?!"

"Just because~" I tease, earning a jab in the ribs from Sakura.

"Be serious for once, baka." She mutters in annoyance.

"Ah... sure, sure." I wave off before taking on a thinking pose. "Protective measures I guess." I try to explain. "I was interested in how Haku made his ice mirrors, but I could never make them as strong as his normally... so I figured out how to make them in a trap setting... hence why it's sealed in a scroll." I finish with a shrug.

"So what exactly does it do?" Sasuke asks curiously.

"About that." I bring my arms behind my head as a smirk forms of my face. "Let's just say it can cause a lot of damage to the holder if used in a certain way."

Realizing the potential danger, Naruto hastily throws the scroll back at me. I easily catch it as I laugh at his panicked expression, causing Naruto to send me an unamused glance.

"Anyway about the password?" Sakura brings back.

Sasuke nods before answering. I take this time to paint the kanji on the scroll before putting it back in my pouch.

"I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. First, you will ask: The ninja song 'Ninki? The answer is the following: It's a good chance when a large number of enemies are making a scene. There are no hideouts even in a quiet place. It is important for a ninja to know the right time. The time when the enemy is tired and has his guard down."

"Okay." Sakura states confidently.

*sweatdrop* 'That's... ridiculously long...' I thought before half-heartedly raising a hand. "Gomen ne but if you ask me that in the middle of a fight, I'd rather bite your head off." I deadpan.

Sakura sends me a glare. "How else are we going to know it's you then?"

"Hm…guess it depends on my response now does it?" I state with a smile. "That's not much to go by huh?"

"That's nothing to go by…" Sakura deadpans.

I look at them blankly. "If you really know me, then you won't need a password to see if I'm a fake or not."

Catching onto the hint, Sasuke sighs at my antics, but nevertheless nods in acceptance.

Naruto continues to stare blankly ahead before rubbing the back of his head. "C-can you repeat that?" He stutters out.

"I told you I would only say it once." Sasuke sighs once again.

"Could you not remember it at all? Baka. I memorized it right away." Sakura states matter-of-factly.

"I remember it perfectly too. I just wanted to be sure by hearing it one more time…" Naruto breaks off.

Ignoring him, Sasuke stands. "Well…Riku and I will carry the scrolls."

"Hold on.. ouch…" Naruto stops, touching the newly formed cut across his cheek. "Nani?"

All of us match Naruto's gaze before I glance to the left, noticing an abnormal shift in the surrounding water.

'The water molecules are coming in our direction.. that means…'

"Everyone, move!" I yell.

Heading the warning, they jump away in different directions, but by then the wind had already caught us in its grasps, pushing us further and further away from each other. Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I freeze the water around my legs before anchoring them to the ground.

"Another enemy?" Sasuke mutters before jumping behind the cover of the trees.

Still shielding my eyes, I glance over to Naruto to see him sliding against the grass. 'He's going to fly away at this rate.' I thought, noticing the others had already taken cover somewhere else. Melting the ice, I dart over to Naruto, knocking the two of us out of the wind's range, but it suddenly shifts, pushing the two of us in opposite directions.

"Riku!"

A hand encircles my wrist, stopping my descent to who knows where. Glancing up, I see Naruto desperately clinging to a tree branch before slowly straining to attach chakra laced feet to the wood. "Heh, Don't worry. I got you." He mutters before reaching for my other hand. Hearing something coming at us, he glances to the side and gawks. Following his gaze, I widen my eyes at the tree flying straight towards us.

'Crap.'

"Let go." I order.

"Nani_?!_"

"Let me go!" I cry out as I try to pry his hand off, sending nervous glances between the incoming tree and him. 'It's almost here.'

"I'm not letting you go!"

My gaze softens as I send him a small smile. "Baka..." I mutter before sending a stream of lightning down his arm, relaxing his muscles and forcing him to release his grip. His eyes widen in surprise before he desperately reaches for my hand once again, but it's too late. The tree smacks into me, sending stars in my vision before everything fades to darkness. I hear Naruto's desperate cries then nothing.

**{~}**

-Somewhere in the forest-

Cracking open my eyes, I groggily sit up before shaking the remaining specks of black dotting my vision. "Ah..." I run a hand through hair before releasing a pained grunt at the tender skin. "How long was I out... better yet, where is everyone?" I glance around to see no sign of my teammates. My frown deepens before I stand. 'Looks like we ended up getting separated after all... still, wasn't the timing of this a bit... too perfect? A coincidence maybe... but all I know is that another team has already found us.' I muse. 'The game finally starts.'

"You shouldn't be so relaxed girlie."

I tense at the new voice before turning to see two grass ninja standing before me.

One sends me a leer before taking a step forward with his hands resting casually in his pockets. "Just give us the scroll and we'll go easy on you." He continues with a sickeningly sweet smile.

'Those eyes again... it makes me sick.' I peer down at the ground in anger, allowing my bangs to shield my face from view.

"And if I say no?" I reply softly, hoping their growing arrogance would further lower their guard.

'Ah... how annoying...' I thought. 'But it's better to let them think they have the upper hand if I want to end this sooner.'

I gaze at the two curiously beneath the cover of my bangs.

The same kusa-nin lets out a cold laugh. "Then we'll just kill you to get it. Doesn't make a difference to me." He lowers his hand to his weapon pouch, still maintaining his ever-present smirk.

"Hey now, that's no way to treat a lady." His partner claps him on the shoulder. "You're supposed to give them a good time before you kill them." He scolds lightly.

"Tch, you and your damn needs." The first kusa-nin clicks his tongue in annoyance as he pulls his hand away from his pouch. "We don't have time for that, remember?"

"I guess you're right." His partner makes a dissatisfied grunt in the back of his throat before turning back to me. "So, how about it? Just give up and we'll make it a quick death."

I chuckle softly. "Is that so?" My shoulders tremble in ill-disguised amusement as I grip my face, feeling a tremor of an unexplainable thrill coursing through my veins. 'How long has it been since I felt this thrill... this bottomless insanity... and there's no one to stop me. How fun.'

"Is that a promise?" I ask softly before more chuckles escape my lips, earning nods from the two kusa-nin. "I'm in." I toss the scroll at the two. As the two watch the scroll, I form a one-handed seal.

'Release.'

The scroll unwraps itself, revealing the imprinted seals before ice chains entangle the two kusa-nin in its painful grasps. Ice mirrors form on all side of the kusa-nin, leaving them no room to escape.

"O-oi! What the hell is this_?_!"

"You wanted the scroll right?" I ask in amusement as I gaze at the blank scroll resting on the ground. "I gave you what you wanted." I continue as I close the distance between us, noticing the mirrors slowly encases the two ninjas.

"H-hey, come on. We were just joking!" One cries before the mirrors completely encase the two.

"It'll be a quick death." I recite back as the ice prison shrinks in size, slowly constricting, slowly crushing the two bodies inside. "But I never said it would be painless." I add humorlessly as their cries become more frenzied, more panicked, more desperate.

'Haku... Naruto... what would you two think if you saw me like this... if you see what it truly means to be a shadow?' A cruel smile enters my face as the cries finally end. Taking several steps back, I watch the mirrors shatter, revealing two mutilated bodies crumpling to the floor as a large pool of blood creeps along the ground. 'This is my role - to eliminate all threats to my light, to protect him from the dirtiness of this world as I see fit.'

_"I don't want to see you like that...that person isn't you."_

_"I won't let you remain a shadow. You're more than that and if you don't believe me, then I'll just keep bugging you until you do!"_

I let out a dry laugh. 'Naruto... you're too late to change me... you're just too late.' I thought as I feel a jolt of pain run through my heart before a round of coughs rack my body, sending me down on my knees. 'Again? Heh... even my own element refuses to accept me.' I wipe my lips with the back of my hand, noticing in distaste the smeared blood. 'The others would freak out if they see me like this... I just have to keep going and not leave any signs of this. Easier said than done though.' Ignoring pain running through my limbs, I stand before staring blankly down at the corpses, feeling little to no remorse at their horrified faces, their jutting bones, everything.

'That's right... I need to find the others...' Turning away from the sight, I take several steps before the sound of clapping reaches my ears. Furrowing my brows, I turn to see the kusa-nin that handed Anko the kunai prior to the start of the second exam clapping. He gazes at me in amusement from his position against the tree.

"Quite the little performance, my dear." He takes several steps forward, not at all perturbed when he crushes the skulls of his former comrades under the soles of his shoes. "Showing no remorse, no disgust... no reaction at all." He lists off as his amusement grows. "But will you do the same for me?" He finishes before disappearing. I widen my eyes in surprise before a hand closes around my throat and suspends me in the air not even a second later.

'He's fast...' I trail off in thought as I desperately claw at his hand. Unperturbed by my efforts, he lowers my face to match his. "I'm going to enjoy killing you, especially when I see your blood staining your beautiful skin." He sends me a twisted smile before sliding his tongue against my cheek, continually tightening his hold around my throat. The lack of oxygen blurs my vision and it isn't long before I feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness.

'Damn it... I was too careless...' My hands fall limply at my sides as I stare unseeingly ahead. A sharp pain enters my leg, then another, and another, eliciting a gasp from my lips.

"Now now. I wouldn't want you to pass out on me and miss out on all the fun." He lessens his hold slightly, allowing some air to enter my lungs - air I greedily swallow up in large mouthfuls. Smirking, he suddenly presses his lips against my ear. "You really don't remember me, do you? Why don't you reveal your true self or are you afraid you'll lose control without your little master around?"

"W-what are you talking about?" I grit out, earning an amused glance in response.

"You look so much like your mother... if only you didn't receive your father's tainted eyes. That darkness, that overwhelming madness is inside you... it's the same as your father's and just like him... it will consume you entirely."

I stare at him in shock before narrowing my eyes. "What do you know? You know nothing about them!" I growl out.

'Bikoume.'

Dark purple lightning creeps onto the surface of my skin before sharply injecting themselves into the man's arms. Surprised, he releases his grip as trails of blood drip down his arms.

Staggering back and gasping in pain, he eyes the blood in interest before flicking his gaze back to the lightning crackling around me. "Interesting... it seems you've inherited your father's cursed element as well." He licks his lips as his grin widens. "You have far exceeded my expectations. How marvelous." He places a hand over his face. "Truly marvelous."

Ignoring his mutterings, I take a defensive stance as the lightning licks against my skin. His smirk only widens. "No matter how hard you fight…now matter how hard you try…you can't change what you are…the perfect tool…that needs to be broken."

With that, he disappears from sight.

"I'm not a tool…" I mutter out as I flick my eyes around my surroundings as scenes flash through my eyes.

'Where is he now.. Above? Left? Right?'

"Behind."

Spinning on the ball of my foot, I grip the kusa-nin's wrist, pouring as much of my element into my palm as possible before blocking another fist aimed at my face with an ice encased hand. Twisting away from the low kick, I push myself further away, noticing the raw and bleeding burns littering the man as well as my own hand. The reprieve soon ends as he sends a flurry of kicks and punches, all meshing together in a confusing dance. Gritting my teeth, I desperately block as many of the hits as possibly, unable to stop several from breaking through and connecting despite my sight. I stagger back as my element begins to attack my own limbs, slowly freezing them in place. It's in this moment of weakness the kusa-nin sends several snakes from his sleeve, pinning my wrists against a nearby tree.

"You certainly don't disappoint, holding such potential for someone your age." He muses aloud as he makes his way over. Gritting my teeth, I send chakra to the snakes in an attempt to sever them like Anko's summons, only to feel a surprisingly large dip in my chakra. To make matters worse, my element continues to attack my nerves, numbing, stealing away my control over my own limbs. 'Damn it... why now...?' Closing my eyes, I forcibly dismiss the lightning, feeling a painful jolt run through my body. 'Great... the numbness is still there... I have to buy time before my chi network recovers enough for me to bend again.'

"It's useless you know. The snakes are feeding off of your chakra as we speak. You won't be able to kill me, but it seems you don't even know who I am…" He observes in amusement before reappearing inches from my face. His long tongue falls from his mouth before he licks his lips. 'Just who are you...' I thought, feeling an unsettling tightening in my gut. His image blurs before me before morphing right before my eyes. Long black hair. Paper-white skin. Yellow snake-like eyes. The fire. Oka-san's last moment. The massacre. It was him. It was-

"Orochimaru." I breathe out, earning a pleased smirk in response.

"It seems you remember. How does it feel to see me again, my child?"

I scowl. "You... what do you think? Why don't you crawl back into your hole?" I spat.

He releases an amused chuckle. "My, my you're acting so cold even though we haven't seen each other in such a long time." He trails his hand down my face, almost gently. "Don't tell me you're not happy to see me?"

My gaze darkens. "Why would I be happy to see my clan's killer?"

"Is that so?" He rubs his thumb against my cheek absently. "Would you feel that way if you knew the truth?" He challenges. "Would you really feel that way if you knew how much I've done for you, even to go as far as to kill your own clan for you?"

I send him a guarded glance. "What are you talking about?"

Dismissing my question, he trails his eyes down my face before settling his gaze on the left side of my neck in amusement. "Would you like the know the truth... the lies that they have been feeding you since birth?" He muses before his eyes widen in mild surprise, "What's this? He actually sealed away your memories..." He lets out a round of laughs. "Just like you predicted... how marvelous... truly, truly marvelous."

His nails dig into my skin - clawing, digging, pulling the skin and leaving long, deep gashes in its wake. Clenching my jaw, I force down the bubbling cries and screams wishing to escape my mouth, knowing it would just give him some sort of sick enjoyment, an enjoyment I refuse to give to him.

"Why won't you scream for me Riku? Scream and cry just like that day. It was such an alluring sound…"

His fingers drive deeper into my skin, harshly tugging apart the skin as blood trails down my neck, dying my shirt a deep crimson. Several jolts of pain run down my neck as I continue to bite my bottom lip to prevent my whimpers and cries from escaping my lips. Another jolt. Another stab. Another wave of pain rushes through me as he uses some sort of jutsu on the wound. My head swims as the familiar image of blood-red eyes appears before me before seeing random jumbles of places - none of which make any sense to me.

'How much longer...' I thought as I try to bend the surrounding water, only to receive a painful jolt through my body. 'Still not healed... just stall a little more... it'll heal... just like always...'

"How disappointing... No matter what I do it seems the seal can't be removed by me…" He pushes more chakra into his hand. I bite my lip harder, drawing blood. He sends me an amused glance. "You really don't remember that man It- at all do you?"

A bone-crushing pain envelopes me, forcing out the name from my head. Unable to hold in the pain, I release a desperate scream before swallowing the air in painful gasps. 'Why... why do I have to be weak now... why did you have to see me weak...' I thought bitterly. 'But.. what are you talking about... seal... what seal?'

"I see you don't have any idea what I'm talking about..." He observes as he gazes at me in amusement. "Wouldn't you like to know who he was, how important he was to you, who he is now?" He lets out a cold laugh. "But it seems even if I tell you, the seal will get in the way... Now, what to do?"

*huff* *huff*

Gritting my teeth, I send him a dark look. "Stop playing with me... you jerk." I grit out - feeling some unknown anger fighting my restraints, desperately trying to force its way out. I take in a shaky breath. 'Not now... breathe... calm down.' I chant. 'I'm not in any condition to go into the berserker state... I won't have any awareness of my actions if I do... I can''t risk it.' I thought as the image of my teammates cross my mind. 'I can't gamble them... I can't...'

"But don't you like games my dear?" He goads, digging his fingers deeper into the wound and eliciting a gasp from my lips. "Why don't you release it? Your true self... let me see it or you really will die... and what a shame that would be ... after all I've done to mold you into who you are today."

Closing my eyes, I reach out for my chi, feeling it coursing through my body. 'About time.'

Cracking open my eyes, I send him a scathing glare. "I won't … be seen as your damn toy…" I breathe out before ice spikes erupt around me, encasing me in a protective hold.

*crack* *poof*

Eyes wide, Orochimaru jumps away to avoid impalement, but his snake summons are not so lucky as they are severed into indistinguishable chunks of meat.

*crack*crack*

The ice spikes pull away from my body before shattering. With nothing left to support me, I fall unceremoniously onto my knees before I glancing up to see Orochimaru gazing at me in interest, specifically the water healing the injuries dotting my arms and neck.

"As amusing as this has been, I know one that will be more entertaining... " He muses with a smirk before holding his hand out to me. "Will you honor me with another game my dear? Your so-called friends...will you be able to stop me from killing them? My clone is about done with them. You better hurry... before I finish the job myself." He warns before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

"You…" I growl out as I drag my nails against the dirt. 'Why... involve them...? Why!' I let out a frustrated cry before ramming my fist against the ground, leaving a small indent. My breathing comes out in ragged pants as I feel my anger spiking, fighting against my restraints and wishing to be released. 'No... don't... give in. Don't gamble them... you can't.' I remind myself before shakily pushing myself to stand. I place a trembling hand on my neck, wondering exactly what jutsu he used to weaken me to this point. 'Whatever it is... I can't let it stop me.' I thought before staggering forward to find Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto. Each step results in dulling pain as the water surrounding me slowly heals the injuries littering my body. Gritting my teeth in annoyance, I shove the budding anger down, forcing it back into submission. This isn't the time to lose control. I just had to find them. I had to find them.

'What is that bastard planning... why involve them?' I thought as I push harder against the branches. 'No matter what, I won't let you get away unscathed...'

**{~}**

**(Third person perspective)**

Driven by desperation, Riku leaves the area in search of her teammates, not once noticing the third party observing her since the beginning from a nearby tree.

Temari leans against the trunk as she gazes at the bloodied corpses with an unreadable look. 'That expression on her face when she killed them... it's just like Gaara's but she somehow snapped out of it... If this is how she really is, then what stopped her from doing that to Kankuro?' She glances over to Kankuro to see him frowning at the corpses. 'You realize this too... don't you Kankuro? What was different in these two situations..?' She continues before confusion enters her face. 'Her teammates aren't with her. That's the only difference, but why would she change her behavior in their presence? It doesn't make any sense.' She bites her bottom lip in thought before glancing over at Gaara then back to the corpses. 'If she really is like Gaara... then this is a far cry from what she can really do. Gaara kills without a care, but her... she only killed outside their eyes. The only reason for that would be because she cares about what her teammates think... she cares for them...' She screws her eyes shut. 'No, that's impossible... we aren't supposed to feel... we just fight for our village...' She casts a glance at her brothers. 'But even if we're drilled to believe that... we can't help caring despite the fear we feel... We shut it out, hide it, refute its existence, but we still care...' She lets out a sigh. 'I suppose that's what I envy about leaf ninja... they're able to freely care and be cared for in return, even to someone that's deemed a monster.'

Releasing another sigh, Temari mutters, "Seems like she's not as weak as she appears."

Kankuro releases a displeased grunt. "Whatever. We better keep going." He waves off, but stops when he notices Gaara standing before the crushed corpses. Sharing a confused glance with Temari, Kankuro follows with Temari not far behind.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kankuro slowly approaches Gaara. "Ne Gaara…We need to get the other scroll."

Gaara sends him a dark look before refocusing his attention to the puddle of blood on the ground, Riku's blood. He gazes at it blankly before bending down and picking up a dark red crystal, the one seen on Riku's ring. A jolt runs down his spine as he fingers the blood coating his hand, feeling something unsettling stirring within him before an insane laughter fills his ears. Tightening the hold on the gem, he fights against the monster clawing at his restraints, begging to be released.

"Gaara?" Temari calls out hesitantly, not daring to take another step closer as she feels the surrounding air thicken. "Is something wrong?"

His breathing levels out before he utters a harsh "no" and pockets the gem.

Taking that as their cue to leave, the two sand siblings follow Gaara through the trees, disregarding the abrupt shift in behavior.

In all honesty, Gaara had no idea why her blood fascinated him, called out to him, even as far as to get a reaction from **_him__. _**He's seen blood countless times, but why did the sight of hers simply resonate with him in that single moment? He knows he needs to see more of it, to feel it running through his fingers, but more importantly, he needs to understand why she intrigues him. She's nothing more than a Konoha ninja, a weakling in comparison to him. But why did she feel familiar to him. Her eyes especially... he saw pain, sorrow, and insanity, but at the same time kindness and compassion. Nothing about her made sense... her contradicting actions, her shifts in behavior. Why did she protect a boy who seemed to forget her? Why hide behind such a crude smile? A smile that was nothing more than a broken mask. The pain shone clearly in her eyes, but it seemed everyone around her believed in her masquerade. Still, why go through the effort? It didn't matter... what others though... so why does she care about the opinions of her teammates when she showed nothing when she slaughtered those two kusa-nin? What made her teammates different? He lets out a dark chuckle. 'Amarante Riku... how much longer will you last... how much longer before you're utterly...'

"Broken." He mutters to himself.

Temari and Kankuro stop in their tracks and look back at Gaara curiously.

"What was that Gaara?" Kankuro asks.

"Nothing." Gaara looks at where he last saw her before following his siblings. 'Let me see your broken form…Riku…'

* * *

><p>~Time skip~<p>

-With Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura-

(**First person perspective)**

"Riku!" "Riku, you're alright!"

*huff**pant*

I gaze through my tousled bangs to see Sakura and Naruto gazing up at me in relief. I trail my gaze to Sasuke to see him standing before Orochimaru, though he's still disguised as the kusa-nin.

'Did I make it in time?' I calm my breathing, knowing my body's reaching its limit. 'It won't be much longer before it comes out huh...' With that thought in mind, I lock my gaze on Naruto, noticing him quickly making his way over to me, only to be intercepted by Sakura. 'That's right... as long as he's around... they'll all be safe.'

"Eh? Sakura-chan, what are you doing? Let me through." He tries to go around, only to have Sakura yank him back by his collar.

"Hang on. We don't even know if that's really her." She mutters warily before sending me a cautious glance.

"I know it's her, Sakura-chan. She still has some of my chakra on her."

Sakura blinks in confusion at that, allowing Naruto the chance to dart out of her grasps before she once again manages to pull him back.

"Oi Sakura-chan!" He whines as he flails his arms, trying to get out of her grasps.

Ignoring him, she gazes at me in suspicion. "Is that you, Riku? What is the ninja song 'Ninki'?"

*tick mark*

'Is that really the issue now?! She doesn't know what the hell they've gotten themselves in!'

"Who else am I supposed to be?" I growl out, tightening my grip on the nearby branch. "Screw the password. Get away from that bastard down there!" I shout before hurling the branch at the kusa-nin, only to grunt in annoyance when he dodges and allows it to smack against a tree.

"Yup that's Riku all right." Naruto states with a grin. "Never get her angry."

Sakura becomes slack jawed at my outburst, allowing Naruto to slip from her grasp and come barreling towards me.

"Riku!" He grips my shoulders in relief before his eyes bulge at the blood stains around my neck. "Eh, what happened to you when we got separated? What-" He cuts himself off when he notices my labored breathing. "Riku..." He trails off before brushing the stray bangs framing my face. "Oi... what happened?" Noticing my obvious distress, his voice takes on an uncharacteristically hard, chilling edge. "Who's the teme that did that to you?" He growls out as his eyes take on a crimson hue. "Where. Is. He." He bites out before his whisker marks become more defined.

'It's happening again... this side of you that always comes out to protect me...' I thought sadly. 'But you're not strong enough... you shouldn't even be involved... so please, please just don't get involved.'

"Naru..." I grip his arm before sending out my chakra in an attempt to calm him, feeling his interlocking with mine almost greedily. 'I don't know why this side of you is so desperate to protect me... but I can't allow you to get hurt.'

Steeling myself, I gaze at his eyes unflinchingly. "You guys have to get out of here... that kusa-nin isn't who he says he is... he's going to kill you all." I warn before he tackles me to the side to avoid the large snake trying to swallow us whole.

"Teme..." Naruto growls out, arms still wrapped around my middle. Releasing me, he turns to face the summon.

"Riku, Naruto!"

I turn to the voice to see Sakura making her way over to us. My eyes widen at the second snake summon charging at her from behind. 'She won't evade it in time.' I realize before forming my ice claws. Darting over, I quickly shove her away, placing myself directly in the path of the snake's mouth. It wastes no time in swallowing me whole, causing Sakura to cry out.

"Riku!"

"Oi spit her out!" Naruto exclaims.

I let out an annoyed grunt as I travel further down the snake's caverns. 'Sakura... you really need to tone done that scream of yours... but I guess seeing a teammate get eaten by a snake isn't much help.' I thought as I feel some type of acid trying to break down my body. Huffing, I slash open the walls, only to get more of the snake's corrosive juices splashing onto me.

"Sasuke-kun how will you fight?" I hear Orochimaru saying to Sasuke.

The snake moves and I feel myself falling deeper into its caverns as muffled voices enter my ears. Seeing as I never planned on being snake food, I grip the walls to stop myself from slipping deeper. 'Let's see if I can go out with a bang.' I muse before tightening my claws and calling out a surge of lightning throughout the snake. Digging my claws in deeper, I freeze the surrounding area as lacerations spread throughout the snake. It soon splits open from the inside out, giving me my escape route. Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I drag myself out of the carcass, shrugging off the digestive juices covering my body.

A tinge of anger trickles into my mind, causing me to frown in confusion. It isn't until I glance up did I realize the reason for that anger. I stare blankly as Orochimaru tosses Naruto to the forest floor, a fall that would definitely kill him.

'N-no... why... he-'

"Naruto!" Sakura cries, shaking me out of my stupor.

'That's right. This isn't the time to worry about this.' I dismiss before darting through to trees to catch him. Using my free hand, I bend a water whip, using it to grab a nearby branch before swinging us over to safety. Once I land, I look over Naruto's body for any injuries, only to find minor scratches, nothing to cause him to collapse. Furrowing my brows in confusion, I surround my hand with water before diagnosing his body for a possible reason for his condition. A heaviness pools in the pit of my stomach when I feel some form of resistance when I try to probe the area on his stomach. A painful jolt soon runs up my arm and I pull back almost immediately. 'What's going on? What did he do to you?' I gaze at him sadly, feeling, no, knowing it's my fault for getting him involved with Orochimaru in the first place.

'I promised to protect you… but I couldn't even do that when you needed it the most…' I trail off as I clench my hands into fists. 'Sasuke and Sakura… they can't do anything to stop Orochimaru. What good am I if I can't protect the people precious to me? What good am I..what-'

"Sasuke-kun!"

I snap out of my thoughts once I hear Sakura's scream.

I let out a dry laugh. 'That's right. I don't have time to pity myself and grovel. I still have to protect my friends… no matter the cost.' I stand, still glancing down at Naruto's face. 'Forgive me…'

Releasing my restraints, I feel the churning anger, that deep insanity overtaking my mind. "You…" I growl out, feeling a wave of chakra course through me.

'…Sasuke… Sakura… for seeing me like this…'

Orochimaru gaze snaps over to me as a smirk appears on his face. "Finally… I will see your true self my dear… the demon of the Amarante clan."

My canines elongate while my injuries burn away from existence and my eye turns a demonic red. Ice encases my arms and legs as swirling purple lightning wraps around my body. Small patches of pale blue scales cover the tops of my arms.

"Ugh..." I grasp my throat in pain, feeling something burning the left side of my neck. 'What's going on? This... hasn't happened before.'

"I see… so you have yet to accept your true form. You are still a child after all…" Orochimaru observes with a smirk. "Show me your strength my dear."

He disappears from my sight before reappearing behind me. The nearby trees explode as I bend the water out of them to block his attack. More trees implode as the water is forcibly drawn out and used to attack Orochimaru, though, he merely dodges all of them. Streams of lightning riding on the water pillars suddenly encase him from all sides and harshly drive themselves through his skin. Screams of pain escape his lips before the body turns into a mass of sickening brown sludge.

'Tch. Always hiding. I don't have time to mess around if I want to remain conscious of my actions.' I flick my eyes around the area before noticing Sasuke several branches below me fighting against Orochimaru. He continues to keep up with Orochimaru's movement and attacks, even getting breaking through his blocks to get a hit in. My view is cut short when another clone appears and sends me toppling into the trunk behind me. I spit out the blood pooling in my mouth before scowling at the figure before me. 'He knows I can't keep fighting this animalistic urge... it's only a matter of time before I fully succumb to the berserker state.' I frown. 'I can't allow that to happen.'

Noticing my scowl, he lets out an amused chuckle. "What a scary expression." He takes several steps forward. "Now don't worry my dear. I will never forget about you... after all, I have been waiting for this moment to make you mine."

If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, I would have made a crude retort. Shaking my head of those thoughts, I focus back on the snake before me and not a moment too soon, seeing as he sends a barrage of snakes, kunai, and fireballs at me. Twisting and flipping, I dodge the attacks to the best of my ability, knowing any more physical damage would only hasten my descent into the berserker state.

'I can't hold out any more... I have to force myself back to normal.' I realize as I see the figures before me morphing into menacing shadows. 'It won't be long before I'll see everything like that... and then the massacre will start.'

"Truly amazing..." He sends me a pleased smile. "To fight off that innate aggression this long. You truly are a worthy prize."

"As if that would make me happy." I spat.

"It's far better than how your clan saw you." He explains before his smirk widens. "Do you know the reason your clan protected you from me?"

My scowl deepens before several ice spikes erupt from the ground and encase his body. It isn't long before that too becomes a mass of sludge. Too tired to react, I get slammed into a nearby tree by another clone before he pins my wrists above my head.

'What's with him and pinning me?' I thought with a slight grimace.

"Let me tell you the truth of your clan. The reason they didn't give you up was because they wanted to raise you as their perfect weapon for war before they had to kill you."

"You're lying. They wanted to protect me from you because they knew you would use me to destroy the village!" I spat in his face.

He smirks in response before kicking me away into a nearby tree. My back harshly connects, leaving a large dent upon contact. Shaking the specks of black from my vision, I use the trunk to right myself up before sending a glare at the clone. He slowly makes his way over to me.

"How am I different from your clan child? They were going to lock you up and chain you down if it weren't for me. I gave you freedom by exterminating them. If it weren't for me, you would be nothing but a mere doll obeying her master."

'That... that can't be...' I grit my teeth. 'They wouldn't do that... oka-san... oto-san... you wouldn't right?'

Shaking my head, I shout, "That can't be true! Oka-san... Oto-san.. loved me..." I finish lamely before feeling the exhaustion phase slamming my body, sending my sprawling on the ground. Gasping in pain, I push myself up as I lock gazes with Orochimaru. 'It's worse than before... why do I feel so drained...?'

"Poor naïve girl. Your beloved clan was going to kill you once they were finished using you. They wanted to start another war to increase their status in the village. But then they learned how much raw power you had…that demonic power you control… it can destroy this whole village if treated right… your own oka-san and oto-san were ordered to kill you on the day of the massacre." His lips curve up into a smirk. "If I hadn't intervened, you would have been dead."

"You're lying." I force through gritted teeth as I push myself onto my knees. "You're lying! Oka-san protected me from you." I shout out desperately. I didn't want to believe it. Everything I believed in... was a lie? My parents... did they really love me or were they acting to protect themselves from me? Everything I was fighting for, all my memories were just orchestrated by the clan so they could control me? If that's all true, then Orochimaru really did save me by killing my clan... That struck a chord. Still, why me? Why orchestrate everything to manipulate one child? It didn't make sense... none of this made sense... What are lies? What are truths? I didn't know anymore. I was too absorbed in my thoughts to notice him forming a hand sign. A jolt runs up my spine, locking all my limbs in place despite my attempts to move.

'A genjustsu…?' I realize too late. Smirking, Orochimaru bends down and caresses my face. I mentally recoil from the contact.

"It's rather tragic, isn't it - to learn everything you believe to be true to be only lies? What do you have left to fight for?"

I don't respond, merely matching his gaze as a heaviness settles in my chest. 'Is he right...? Is everything you're telling me true? You might be making this up... but why do I feel like it's true?' I thought as the heaviness increases. 'I always wanted to learn the truth... I knew it never made sense for them to pay so much attention to me even though I was a female clan heir... so they really did want to get rid of me... I really was unwanted.'

Smiling wider at my lack of response, he answers for me. "You don't have anything left. This village... after the massacre, they took you away and gave you to that **_man _**who made you into a weapon of his image. They never cared for you... always shoving you onto others... but then you snapped and killed all those people... even your light."

I flinch at his words, causing a deep chuckle to escape his lips. 'He… knows… but how? How?'

"I know everything about you, my dear. I've always been watching you, waiting for the perfect chance to take you." He admits before letting out another chuckle. "Let me guess... once you were set free from your second prison, you felt like you finally found your place of belonging, starting with your new light... Naruto was it?" I flinch, but it only amuses him further. "You swore to protect this boy... and he you. You swore to remain by his side and believe he will never betray you." He pauses before closing the distance between us so that his lips rest on the shell of my ear. "But you're wrong. He will never understand you; he will abandon you. He's a light. You're a shadow, a shadow that can run rampant and consume all in its path, even your so-called light. You can never reach him... you know this. Only another shadow can understand you. Only I will accept you for what you are."

Gritting my teeth, I gaze down at my clenched hands, allowing my bangs to shroud my face. 'I... I know that... that's why I...'

"Riku, snap out of it!"

'Sasuke?' I snap out of my trance and gaze up to see Sasuke standing protectively in front of me.

"Never took you for someone who blindly listens to her enemies." He scoffs as he tightens his grip on the kunai. "This is why I can never leave you alone baka. Besides, if you're a shadow, then so am I."

I stare at Sasuke in shock before shaking my head in disbelief. 'This guy... you always know just what to say to snap me out of my little pity party.' A small smile creeps onto my face. "Ah.. got it. Arigato... Sasuke."

'Even if you rarely show your emotions or thoughts... you're protective of those important to you. That hasn't changed. Still, Orochimaru isn't someone you can beat on your own...' I thought before using the trunk to stagger to my feet. This doesn't go unnoticed by Sasuke who lets out a dissatisfied grunt.

"Let me handle this. You'll only get in the way right now."

'Translation: You're too hurt to fight so let me protect you.' My eyes soften at the gesture, but before I can protest, Sasuke sends several shuriken at Orochimaru. He tries to dodge, but the wires connecting to the projectiles trap him against the tree. Standing upside down from a tree branch, Sasuke forms several hand signs.

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu."

Malicious flames surge down the wires, all aiming straight at Orochimaru. Screams of agony echo throughout the forest before the body slumps against the tree, eyes and mouth wide in horror. Satisfied, Sasuke slowly staggers over to me and scans my body for injuries. His eyes land on my neck before he grips my shoulder to steady me.

"What happened?" He growls out as his eyes narrow at the patches of dried blood.

I weakly wave him off. "Ran into the other two kusa-nin on the way here." I explain, purposely omitting the little conversation I had with Orochimaru.

"Sasuke-kun! Riku! You two are alright." Sakura cries in relief.

Turing to the voice, I see Sakura jumping over to us with Naruto's arm over her shoulder. She places him almost gently against the tree before turning to us, but once she does, we all feel something pushing down on us, sending us down to our knees. Sasuke and I try to stand, only to slump further to the ground.

'Damn it... I knew it wouldn't be that easy...' I thought through pained gasps. 'I can't... fight...'

"My, my… you really are from the Uchiha clan. You carry more potential than your brother It-."

A bone-crushing pain erupts in my head, preventing me from processing the name. Biting my lip, I let out a muffled cry as the pain increases more and more before the image of blood red eyes flashes before my eyes.

'Those eyes...' I grip my head. 'Why do you... keep appearing? Why?'

"Poor girl... she's still tied down by your brother's seal… how unfortunate."

"Nani?" Sasuke shouts.

Calming my breathing, I weakly glance up at Sasuke before shakily placing a hand over the left side of my neck, feeling the indents in my skin. "I... I don't know... what he did..." I answer before turning back to Orochimaru.

"That was the point. He wanted you to forget the truth, Sasuke, even..." He trails off before chuckling darkly. "But don't worry... that mark will release you from your binds..."

I furrow my brows in confusion. 'What is he talking about now…? My binds?'

"...So I can take you for myself." He finishes as snake-like eyes lock onto me. His neck stretches out before hurdling towards me.

'I can't move…' I realize, but I didn't need to. Sasuke had already placed himself before me, taking Orochimaru's bite in my place. I stare at Sasuke in shock, not believing what had just happened. Orochimaru extracts his fangs from Sasuke's neck before facing me once again with his fangs bared, but before he connects, something strange happens. My visions blurs and something foreign takes control of my body.

"_**Get away from her!" **_

A warped voice escapes from my lips before my vision returns to normal, showing an enraged Orochimaru staggering backwards with a deep gash across his face. Blood trickles through his fingers as he continues to hold his face in pain.

"That man always interferes!" Orochimaru spats.

'Man…what man? Who is he talking about?' I thought before my vision swims once again and specks of black invade my vision. The last thing I hear is Sakura's frantic cries then nothing. Just darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I feel like ending it here. (^.^) Sorry about making this chapter a bit short. I hope you enjoyed it either way and hopefully you don't think the mark Orochimaru carved on her skin is the same as a curse seal. I don't know if that even made sense… anyway let's just say that mark is going to cause some trouble later on. (^.^) Riku was kicked around, but I suppose it wasn't much… <strong>

**What did Orochimaru mean when he said it would release her from her binds? Here's a hint: it has to do something about her emotions in a sense…and several memories that were locked away… that's all I'll give out for now. **

**More will be revealed about the man Orochimaru is talking about in the next chapter. And yes, the weird voice change has to do with the man Orochimaru is talking about. Sorry that scene's unclear right now..**

**If you have any questions/comments/concerns, feel free to review and I'll address them in the next chapter. **

**Until then…**

**Ja ne.~**

**{~}**

_New Note: I changed some of the scenes and words in the chapter to make the story flow more easily. Hopefully this chapter was easier to understand now that changes were made. If you want to put any suggestions, criticisms, or inputs, feel free to message, PM, or review._

**_(Edited 7/2/14) : Some changes in the events between Riku and the kusa-nin and the conversations. _**


	11. Chapter 11: An Unavoidable Gamble

-Chapter 11: An Unavoidable Gamble-

**AN: Thank you to everyone that has read this story and has kept up with it up till now. It means a lot to me. (^.^) I want to give special thanks to ****Tenshin-no-Tsubasa****, ****Moonlttiger,**** and ****Mizuki99**** for review. They had some comments/questions that I'll now address.**

**Tenshin-no-Tsubasa****: Thanks for staying up late to read my story. XD I felt bad about that but I like reading your reviews. I don't mind if you exaggerate so go right ahead. Well, Kankuro does push Gaara's buttons a lot, but he does still have a future as a dead man I suppose? Just thought he would act a bit cocky considering how he kept saying how he hates kids because of Gaara, but that was just how I wrote it. Good point you made though. Yes, it took me a while to figure out how things would go in the last chapter, but after a while I finally wrote it in a way I liked. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter though. There will be a small scene with Itachi in this chapter, but he's going to be seen as a memory of sorts. Some things might be confusing in this chapter, but just hang in there. More will be revealed later on and I hope it doesn't confuse anyone too much. (^.^;) Hopefully you remembered what you wanted to say last time? If not, then it's alright. It'll eventually come back to you. (^.^)**

***Change: In the rewrite, I made it so that Kankuro doesn't talk back to Gaara to make it fit his character more. Thanks again for the input. **

**Moonlttiger****: Thanks for reviewing again. As for the gem/crystal, more is revealed in this chapter. I also explained a bit about the seal and Itachi's involvement with it in this chapter. I hope that helps explain some things. But some missing pieces are left unexplained in this chapter. But I promise all will be revealed later on. Thanks for reading my story and I hope that helps. (^.^) Feel free to ask more questions for clarification. It helps me think of how to write the next chapter.**

**Mizuki99****: Thanks for the review. It means a lot to me and I'm glad you like the story. So when I created Riku, I used a walkthrough thing I found on deviantart ..that I forgot the name of… (sorry . ) But anyway, it said that Riku was on the borderline of a mary-sue because of her strengths. So I had to balance out her strengths with weaknesses. I still think of her as a possible sue, but I'm trying to keep her as a believable character. As for your question, I have thought about giving her a curse seal, but then it might affect the story in a way I don't want it to. I will say that Riku already has a seal placed on her and Orochimaru has tampered with it. So in a sense, he has marked Riku. More is revealed in this chapter and I hope it doesn't disappoint. **

***I hope that cleared up any doubts/concerns/questions. If there's something you would like to ask me or comment, just review and I'll address it in the next chapter. I don't mind critiques and it takes a lot to offend me so feel free to express your opinions. This chapter is a bit fluffy, but it's needed to get the plot going. Sorry T.T Hope this was worth the wait. **

*Altered chapter (see announcement 2)*

**{~}**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p><em>Someday everything will make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.<em>

_~Unkown_

'_**It feels as if everything I believed in has come crashing down. What is left for me now? The truth? No. It wouldn't be that simple. Everything ends in pain and the same could be said for this so called truth.'**_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

* * *

><p>~In Mindscape~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

Cold. Emptiness. It feels so suffocating... yet so familiar... where...

'Where am I?'

I open my eyes to find myself surrounded by a never-ending sea of ice and snow. 'What is this?' I clench the snow, feeling the softness slowly melt away into water before pushing myself up to stand and patting away the stray snow. 'It's no longer dark...' I muse as I continue to gaze at the seemingly deserted tundra. 'This place... why did my mind create this?' I furrow my brows in confusion before taking several cautious steps forward, noticing how the scattered snowflakes would morph into wispy images before scattering away. 'A memory?' I thought in confusion before dismissing the idea and trekking onward in search of some inkling of an answer. After all, answers are not going to conveniently fall into my lap and even if they do, they only leave more questions than answers. Just how life works.

As I continue to disturb the freshly falling snow, my frown increases at the growing familiarity of area, but I can't explain why. The environment left much to be desired with the protruding ice spikes to the frozen trees - giving the impression of a wasteland, nothing that should hold much importance. It isn't long before an abnormally large chunk of ice comes into view, disturbing the monotony of the area. Frowning, I close the distance before noticing the girl frozen in the ice. Her face holds a calm expression and her long blue hair fans around her in a curtain. I stop inches away from the ice, completely fixated on the girl's face - my face.

"Is this a joke..." I trail off as my eyes scan every detail of the girl's face, finding the similarities between us more and more apparent. "Just like a copy..." I murmur before reaching out to touch the ice, only to stop a centimeter away when a voice calls out to me.

"Why are you here?"

Jolted by the voice, I snap my hand back to my side before turning to find a familiar looking man. His long black hair is tied back in a low ponytail while several stray hairs framed his face. Unsurprised by my reaction, he continues to gaze at me curiously with his brown eyes as snow continues to fall from the sky. A dull ache enters my head, but it's nothing unbearable.

"You…" I trail off as I take a step forward, "You're Sasuke's brother. But how do I … know you?" I mumble the last part before addressing his question, "As for why I'm here, can't say. I just am."

"I see." He slowly makes his way over, keeping the impassive expression on his face. "Gomen Riku," he murmurs before poking my forehead, "You'll remember when the time is right."

I stare at him in surprise before cracking a smile at the familiar gesture. That man's small gesture... it made me feel warm. I can't explain it, but I yearn for that warmth... whatever it is.

'Wait...not that stupid line again.' I realize with a frown before shaking my head. 'Not now... this isn't the time for this. I need to find answers even if...' Letting out a sigh, I face the man once again.

"And you? Why are you here?" I ask curiously, finally breaking the silence between us. "No one else should be here… but that girl…why…" I trail off.

His face gives nothing away as he gazes down at the chain around my neck before holding the inscribed silver band between his forefinger and thumb.

"I'm just a past memory." He comments offhandedly as he continues to twirl the ring in his fingers, "This ring… what happened to it?"

I slightly tilt my head to the side in confusion before gazing down at the ring to see the crystal missing. "It's gone, but where…?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He allows the ring to fall from his fingers. "This ring is important to you is it not? I would think you would take better care of it, Riku." He lightly teases before mumbling to himself, "What happened to it… the markings… changed." He breaks off into a frown.

'Markings? Is he talking about the inscriptions… how could he know they were different… unless…'

I grab his wrist, stopping him from taking another step away. Swallowing the sudden lump in my throat, I steel myself. "You… you're the one who gave me this ring … aren't you?" I ask, disliking the pleading tone of my voice.

'I don't even know him… but I feel like I do… just what, no who are you to me…' I tighten my grip.

He turns to me with a pained smile, but the pain is quickly buried away. "I may have something to do with it. I may not." He utters with a teasing smile, causing my face to slightly fall at his evasive answer.

*sigh* "Why won't you just give me a straight answer…?" I mutter out, earning a chuckle in response.

"You never answered my questions either."

I sigh once again before releasing his wrist, noticing my body's slight reluctance to do so.

"I might have lost the crystal when I was fighting earlier." I clasp the ring in my hand. "I'm not entirely sure if this ring is important. I just know… the person who gave it to me is. You know something about this don't you? Why won't you tell me?" I plead, causing the man's expression to sadden.

"It's not for you to know yet."

*tick mark* 'Those damn words again…'

"But tell me this…what did that man…" He trails off.

"Orochimaru." I spat out, tightening my grip on the ring.

"Orochimaru… did he do anything … strange to you?" He asks calmly, not all surprised by the hatred leaking into my voice.

"Strange?" I repeat before covering the left side of my neck as I thought of Orochimaru's words.

_What's this? He actually did seal away your memories did he…?_

_No matter what I do it seems the seal can't be removed by me… you really don't remember that man It- at all do you?_

_Wouldn't you like to know who he was, how important he was to you, who he is now? B__ut it seems even if I tell you…that seal will get in the way…_

"He said something about a seal before clawing into the side of my neck… he was trying to remove it but ended up using some jutsu on me. That… I don't know what." I pause as I slightly tighten my hand over the claw marks. "After that… he tried to bite me to put some sort of mark on me, but Sasuke… and something else stopped it from happening." I glance up at the man's face to see a blank expression. Although his face holds no inkling of emotions, the small sparks of fire in his eyes hint to anger.

I furrow my brows in thought. 'Why does it seem like he already knows this… like he knows what's happening…'

Wordlessly, he gently removes my hand and examines my neck carefully, trailing his fingers across the surface of my skin. I flinch at the contact as small sparks of pain travel down my neck, earning a frown from the man before it disappears from sight.

"I see…" His fingers fall from my neck as he matches my gaze. "I wasn't able to step in soon enough."

'Step in? Does that mean he was the one who prevented Orochimaru from biting me?' I thought as I widen my eyes. 'So he did know what happened…'

"Why did you ask me all those questions when you already knew the answers?" I ask as I match my gaze with his, "Also, stepping in... why would you interfere and stop that mark from happening?"

He looks mildly surprised before returning to his usual impassive face.

"Hmm. You're still perceptive," he murmurs, "I can't tell you much about the seal but let's just say things have become more difficult." He starts walking away but stops and looks back. "That crystal… it plays an important role in that seal of yours. It would be in your best interest to retrieve it as soon as possible. From now on, I can no longer offer you my assistance; my role is done here. As for your other question, I'll let figure it out." He finishes with a kind smile. "Maybe next time Riku..."

Before I can stop him, his form begins to crack, causing me to take a step forward – only to see the rest of his form shattering into shards of ice.

I lower my outstretched arm as I stare at the fallen shards. "Role? What role is he talking about…?" I lightly clench my fists. "You keep appearing before me… in my mind… in my thoughts. Why? You keep appearing in my life when I know nothing about you… Just who are you to me… why do you make me feel this way? This emotion… this warmth… I don't understand any of it… Just who are you…?"

Why are things becoming more difficult? Who is he to me? Why do I even have a seal in the first place? Orochimaru mentioned the seal suppressed my memories of Sasuke's brother, but even if I try to remember him, pain is all I receive. His brother… he had to have a reason to seal off my memories, but why only of him? Was there something about him he doesn't want others to know about? Or is there something he wants me to forget? To further add to the confusion, I couldn't explain the warmth I felt from his simple gestures towards me… his touch, his smile… it brought feelings I don't quite understand. Those feelings… I don't know what to call them. It's similar to how I feel when I'm around Naruto, Shika, and Sasuke, but different… I don't quite understand.

"Damn hormones…everything.. ugh. Damn it." I mutter as I fall on my back on the snow – causing some of the fallen snow to flutter into the air before peppering my form. "There has to be something I remember…"

I try to think back to the past but I come out short, seeing as how I only have snippets of memories. Nothing flowed together. Everything I could recall was scattered, broken.

"What did Orochimaru mean when he said this mark will release me from my binds?"

I trace the gashes along my neck. It can't exactly tell what image the marks make. There are several interlocking loops that vaguely form the image of a flower of some sort. But to put it simply, it can just be random gashes.

"Well… yelling at the sky isn't going to help…" I stand up and brush the snow off my clothes before facing the girl frozen in the block of ice and notice the black vine-line appendages gripping against the surface of the ice. As I approach her, a pained expression enters her face.

"Who are you? Are you hurt?" I ask.

No response.

"Not like I was expecting an answer…" I sigh out as I scratch the back of my head. "I want to know who you are…but it seems I'm not supposed to know just yet. But it's not like that will stop me from finding out." I let out a soft chuckle.

Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing. It wasn't like the girl was going to answer me anytime soon, yet I found some comfort in being there with her like I had known her all my life. I slowly touch the ice and I instantly feel myself being transported into another area.

**{~}**

-In a forest outside the Amarante clan's compound-

**(Third person perspective) **

Riku quickly looks around herself as she notices the drastic change in scenery. The moon was full and it seemed that no one was around. That was until she heard screams and the splintering of wood somewhere deeper in the forest. Curious, Riku rushes over to find the source of the noise.

"Nani…is that…is that me?" Riku breathes out.

Riku stops in her tracks as she sees a small blue haired girl wide-eyed and trembling at the sight of the bloodied corpses surrounding her. The very ground was frozen solid and ice spikes could be seen protruding from the ground, trees, and corpses.

"Why did you attack me … I didn't do anything wrong…" The girl's demonic red eyes fade back to their normal silver hue as she continues to stare fearfully at the sight before her. "Why did you want to kill me…"

"Riku!" "Riku are you there?"

Shouts could be heard from the compound, but the girl simply ignores them – transfixed with the carnage before her. Shocked at the sight, Riku slowly approaches the girl before reaching out towards her, only to have her hand go through the girl's body.

'So I'm just observer again…' Riku thought as her eyes become guarded.

"Riku!"

At the voice, Riku stands to face the source of the voices, matching the actions of the little girl. Eyes still filled with shock, the little girl makes a move towards her oto-san and oka-san, only to draw her hand back as she registers the fear etched onto their eyes. Disregarding her fear, the mother slowly approaches the girl and cradles her into her arms as the father approaches the corpses with distaste and anger in his eyes.

"Rock ninja." He growls out.

"Honey. It's alright. You're safe now." The mother soothes, brushing the girl's hair away from her face.

"Why did they want to kill me?" The girl mutters out, not looking at her mother's eyes.

Her mother smiles sadly before holding her child closer. "They are just afraid. They didn't know what they were doing."

Silence dominates the conversation before the girl wraps her arms around her mother's neck. "Gomen ne…I didn't want to hurt them…" The child finally speaks before she closes her eyes, wishing away the horrified and pained images of her victims etched into her mind.

Soothing the girl's hair in a gesture of comfort, the mother looks to her husband - a saddened expression dominating her face.

"They're going to send more after her once they hear of this." She warns sadly as she ceases stroking her daughter's hair. The man closes his eyes as he turns his head away from the woman before him.

"I know. We can't let them… no, anyone have her. If we do, then it will be the end of our village." He finally opens his eyes to reveal silver orbs before walking over to the girl to stroke her hair. A detached expression enters his face as he stares as the girl's peaceful expression. "We are doing this to protect you from yourself. One day you will understand." He murmurs as he takes out a small red and black crystal decorated with a variety of markings similar to the seals encircling the wrist of his free hand. Using his free hand, he quickly forms the necessary hand signs before an orange glow encases his hand. Countless black symbols flood from the seal, surrounding the surface of his hand.

The scene blurs as black overtakes Riku's vision. A pained scream enters her ears as she realizes what the man had done. As the scene returns, the symbol of a dragon reforms into that of the clan symbol on the left side of the girl's neck. Her eyes were glazed over as the sealing circle below her disappears as well as the seal itself. Once the girl's eyes finally close, the mother holds the unconscious girl in her arms as the man directs his gaze to the crystal in his hand.

"Forming a link between a seal and a chakra based medium… this is one of the strongest seals I know." He comments as he pockets the crystal.

"She won't remember this will she?" Her mother questions as she gazes down at the girl in her arms in sadness.

"No. But it's better if she doesn't know." He looks back at his sleeping daughter. "This seal… although strong… isn't enough. From what I've seen of your sister, this is far from enough." He comments as a rueful smile enters his face. "It- he's the only one I can think of strong enough to solidify the seal's foundation."

'Again? What does that man keep on showing up?'

"You miss her…" The woman points out, breaking the man out of his thoughts. He impassively gazes into her azure orbs.

"Yes. I do." He confirms, "But nothing can bring her back. It was her choice to make and I will live with the outcome. You need to do the same as well… hiding behind her even now… what exactly are you thinking?" The woman stiffens at his question.

"The more you hide behind her, the more you'll lose yourself. You're not her… you can't be her. You need to wake up to reality." The man closes his eyes, "We're in the midst of war. We can't be careless… even though she was one of the best strategists… even she can't predict this far ahead." He opens his eyes to stare into the moon. "We can't afford any mistakes… time is running out." He finishes calmly.

The woman's eyes become downcast. "Are you saying that for the clan, me…or yourself? You're throwing away everything… your sanity… and now your life. You think Riku won't notice? Even at this age, children are perceptive. Even if she doesn't understand what's going on, she notices."

The man doesn't say anything, merely casting his wife a passive glance. "Even so, she's a monster. That-that thing isn't my daughter. It's a monster taking on her form. I will eradicate it… even if it kills me… after all, it only brings suffering." He walks over to the unconscious girl, stroking her hair. "Everything will be fine soon. We will no longer have to kill you. You will no longer be a monster…just my little girl." He whispers out. "You will be my Hikari."

Riku's form visibly tenses at the words as she continues to gaze at the scene before her.

'So I was just a monster in your eyes… you never accepted me…' Riku's fists clench at her sides before her form begins to tremble. 'Oka-san's sister… she was just like me… but he accepted her… so why… why was he trying so hard to change me… I was never his daughter in his eyes… I never was…'

"Kaito…" The woman murmurs as he continues to stroke the girl's hair lovingly. A guilt-filled expression enters her face as he gazes at the man's trance-like expression.

"Shizuka…" He responds, "I know what I'm doing. With the crystal as a limiter, the seal will be able to undergo more stress, but we still need It- to complete it. Even though the seal is only meant to lock away this power until she can control it… I want this power… this monster eradicated." He growls out. "To accomplish that, I accepted It- proposal to use a memory seal as the foundation seal. I don't understand nor care for the reason behind this, but I know I can trust her to him."

The scene begins to fade out, but before it does, Riku makes a move to grab her father.

"Was I ever human to you? Was I ever more than a monster? Answer me!" Riku cries out as his form disappears from view – sending her back to the frozen tundra.

**{~}**

**(First person perspective)**

My form continues to tremble as anger overtakes my senses. I didn't know what came over me. Even though I knew I wouldn't be able to touch him, I still wanted to somehow talk to him… to scream at him… to hear him say everything was just a rouse. But I knew it wasn't… I already knew what he said was the truth. Oto-san… he wanted to eradicate the 'monster' inside of me, but that was impossible. I am who I am and he couldn't change that… be it a monster or a girl. My identity was of no consequence. After all, I am just Riku, a shadow.

But even so, what Orochimaru said was true. I was to be killed off, but despite oto-san's misguided view, he still cared for me… even if it was only for an idealized version of me. The seal he placed on me was a two layered seal with a chakra medium lock; the crystal acted as a limiter to take away unnecessary stress from the seal while the seal itself had two layers reinforced by some unknown method by Sasuke's brother, but why did oto-san trust him so much? There had to be some reason behind that trust, but I know I can't speculate further than that.

Sighing, I return back the sealing structure itself, specifically the usage of a memory seal as the seal's foundation. Sasuke's brother was only meant to reinforce oto-san's seal, so why did he choose a memory seal when there were probably more potent combinations available? Thinking along that line, the answer should be obvious. He wanted to alter my memories of him, wanted to make it seem as though he never existed, but whatever emotional tie I had to him hindered that. Even so, if he only meant to alter my memories of him... why did all my other memories disappear, break - leaving me with only snippets of my former self. Was it an accident? No, it couldn't be… all the memories that were missing or broken… he had some sort of connection to those people… Sasuke… I couldn't remember him until recently… did my memories of him disappear because they were so closely linked to his brother? Shika… did he somehow get into contact with Sasuke's brother? My parents… the connection there was obvious. But Naruto… I still remembered him. Despite everything, I remembered everything about him… why just him?

_You're my first friend… so I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Believe it. _

_What if I don't see you again? _

… _Then I'll come find you. _

"That baka…" I mutter out as that conversation plays back in my mind, not stopping the smile creeping on my face. "You actually kept your promise."

At that moment, I realized something. Did it really matter what my past was? My past memories… they were taken from me for a reason. Was it really wise to continue looking into it? I close my eyes in thought. 'No… the more I look into this, more and more lies will be uncovered. My previous perceptions of people…will change.'

_We will no longer have to kill you. You will no longer be a monster…just my little girl._

I narrow my eyes as the line continues to replay itself in my thoughts. 'Oto-san…'

"You're still someone I hate." I mutter out as a sad smile enters my face. "But I still love you… something must be wrong with me." I finish with an empty chuckle as I place a hand on my face.

Lowering my hand, I stare at the clouds as snow continues to fall on my body. This peaceful area… it made me want to never wake up and that was exactly why I wanted to leave. I brush away to snow littering my clothes before facing the girl once again.

"I don't know who you are… but arigato for clearing things up. I know what I want now… even if that path will only bring about pain. It's better to embrace the 'truth' instead of living through the eyes of a naïve girl."

I receive no answer in response, which was expected.

I trail my fingers against the seal on my neck. "You think you broke me Orochimaru… but," I pause as I reach into my holster to pick up a kunai, "everything ends in pain…so it's time for me to wake up."

With that, I plunge the kunai into my right leg as the darkness begins to fade.

* * *

><p>~In the Forest of Death~<p>

-Resting under the tree-

I slowly crack open my eyes to see the full moon shining brightly in the darkness of the night. Craning my neck to my sides, I see Naruto and Sasuke flanking either side of me before shifting my gaze to the entrance of the tree cave to see Sakura leaning against the wall, bobbing her head up and down in her losing fight against sleep.

My expression softens as I focus on the signs of fatigue wearing down her face. 'You must have done everything you could for us, Sakura… Looks like you need as much rest as the rest of us.'

Pushing myself off the ground, I prop myself against the nearest wall before a bone-crushing pain explodes in my chest. Swallowing the cry bubbling in my throat, I clutch my chest as I try my best to stifle the coughs with my remaining hand. 'Again...? It's getting worse...' I thought as the coughs become more violent, and I continually flicker my gaze to the others, praying this episode doesn't stir any of them awake. After several dragged out seconds, the coughs finally subside and I lower my trembling hand to see the familiar sight of black-speckled blood with residual sparks of lightning coursing along its surface. I let out a dry chuckle. 'Deterioration huh? It's as corrosive as the rumors say.' I muse as I watch the blood puddle shrink in size. '...but as long as my body can repair enough of the damage... the process will be delayed. I just hope that'll be enough time.'

I try to shift my position closer to Sakura, but only succeed in aggravating my chest and letting out a pained cry, jolting her awake. Kunai in hand, she frantically looks around for the source of the noise before her gaze stops on me. "Riku..." She murmurs before her eyes well up and she reaches over to give me a rough hug. "You're alright. I-I was worried when you passed out like that. Then Sasuke... I didn't..." Her voice is barely above a whisper as I feel her trembling against me. Pushing away the lingering discomfort, I wipe the stray blood against the grass as I softly gaze down at the girl clinging onto me.

'She must have been scared… to see everyone pass out like that…it's a wonder she managed to take us all here without getting attacked…'

I slowly circle my arms around her before stroking her hair in a calming manner, similar to what I've seen mothers do to soothe their crying child.

"Gomen ne for making you worry. I… couldn't protect any of you…" I trail off before glancing at the two boys resting around us. "How are those two?"

Sakura removes herself from me as she rubs her eyes to get rid of any stray tears. I smile sadly at the sight, seeing as it was mostly my fault for this happening in the first place.

"Naruto's out cold. Sasuke…he still has a high fever." She finishes before her gaze matches mine before anger crosses her face. "What do you know about Orochimaru? He seemed to be friendly with you."

I bite back a sarcastic remark at her assumption before gazing back at her with a cold look. Her glare wavers as she darts her eyes between the wall and me, possibly regretting her words. "He killed my clan." I answer, noticing the guilty expression adorning her face at the mention of the incident. She makes a move to apologize, but I motion for her not to interrupt. "It's fine." I release a tired sigh. "All I know is that he wanted me… that was why I was targeted in the first place, but I ended up getting everyone involved in this mess…" I trail off as my expression falls. "Still, I didn't know he wanted Sasuke as well."

"So you know nothing about that mark on Sasuke's neck?" She asks frantically. The mention of a mark causes me to switch my gaze to Sasuke's neck, causing me to slightly stiffen once I register it.

"That mark…" I trail off before facing Sakura again, "I don't know what it means, but I've seen it on psycho-sensei. I've never asked about it though, so I can't tell you anything new." Her shoulders sag in disappointment. "Ne Sakura."

She shifts her eyes to me.

"Before I passed out… what did I do to Orochimaru?"

As the question escapes my lips, her eyes widen as fear overtakes her eyes.

"I..I'm not exactly sure… your voice changed and that ring of yours was glowing red. Everything happened too quickly for me to catch it, but you stopped Orochimaru from attacking us again." She awkwardly rubs her arm as she looks away.

I narrow my eyes at the action, but chose not to comment. 'Why would she be afraid?' I thought to myself before dismissing the question. 'If she doesn't want to say anything, I won't be able pry it out of her.' Releasing a sigh, I return my glance to Sakura to see her shifting nervously to the side.

"Arigato Sakura."

She looks at me in surprise before sending me a questioning gaze.

"Arigato for doing everything you did for us." I clarify. "I know we all appreciate you for it. Why don't you get some sleep? I'll take the rest of the watch."

I make a move to change places with her, but the pain causes me to slump back down. 'Ah... forgot about that... how annoying.' I thought with a huff, noticing the Sakura's worried glance.

"Are you sure? I mean, you're still hurt and even though I cleaned up all the blood, the mark on your neck…" She trails off as she lightly touches the gashes. "Wait, why is there a seal on your neck?" She asks in surprise.

'So that memory's true then.' I clench my hands. "What does it look like?" I ask sternly, shocking Sakura with the seriousness of my voice.

"It..it looks like a sort of flower… like the one you have on the back of your vest…" She answers apprehensively.

'It's my clan's symbol? Then that means it's the one oto-san placed on me… so now it's visible…'

[AN: The link for what her clan symbol and the seal looks like is on my profile. It's not mine so all rights goes to the owner of this picture.]

"But there seems to be other marks around it… like vines or something like that…what is it? Do you know?" Sakura asks hesitantly.

My expression becomes blank as I cover the seal with my left hand. "The original seal was made by my father but it seems Sasuke's brother altered it to seal away my memories. The vines you saw… it seems Orochimaru added them on for some reason." I take a moment to recall what that man told me about the crystal. "Sakura… do you remember if I had a crystal on this ring when you saw me earlier?" I ask as I hold up the silver band by the chain. She furrows her brows in concentration.

"I'm sure… I didn't see it… is it important?" She responds, causing me to release a dejected sigh.

"Apparently it is important…" I trail off as I hold the ring in between my index finger and thumb. "This ring acts as a limiter to something…with that crystal. Seeing as it's missing, whatever it's holding back… " I break off, allowing Sakura to complete the sentence on her own. As the words register in her mind, her eyes widen in fear.

"Then what's going to happen?" Sakura asks frantically.

"To be honest, I don't know." I answer, not at all soothing her fears. "I need to get it back… I-I don't want to take any risks with everyone as they are right now - not when all of you are unable to run… It'll be fine. " I release my hold on the ring before making a move to leave, only to have Sakura catch my wrist.

Surprised, I turn around to see Sakura holding a pleading expression. "You…you can't go out there alone!" Sakura whispers harshly before looking away and biting her bottom lip. "And… I-I may not know what you're talking about… or have seen you when you lose control…but…" She switches her gaze so that her green eyes matched my silver ones. "I know you would never hurt us."

My eyes widen at her words before a sad smile enters my face. 'She trusts me… even though she's still afraid…'

"Even if you say that… there's always a chance I could turn against you all… I won't be able to tell the difference between an enemy or an ally." I answer, causing Sakura's form to tense. "Only Naruto can snap me out of it…" I add, looking sadly at the unconscious goofball before facing Sakura once again.

"That… can't be." Sakura mutters out sadly before tightening her hold on my wrist. "I don't believe it!" Her expression hardens. "I know you can be dangerous, a baka, a sadist, a cross-dresser, and a smartaleck, but you're our teammate… you're … no you wouldn't turn on us. No matter what, you could never do that. Even without that limiter or whatever it is… you'll be fine. If I have to, I'll protect you too!" Sakura finishes as an intense look enters her eyes. I smile at the sight before shaking off her grip and releasing a sigh.

"I see." I move back to my spot before facing Sakura once again. "Arigato… for saying that." I mutter before looking outside the tree cave entrance. "But even if you say that… if worse comes to worst, then I'll have to… " I trail off before shaking my head, "just make sure you get out of the way. If you have to, run…"

"But-" Sakura tries but I cut her off.

"This is not suggestion." I bite out. "You have no idea what I could do. Remember what I talked about when we were in front of Zabuza and Haku's graves?"

She nods hesitantly.

"The people who tried to mold me into their perfect tool… I killed them. I slaughtered all of them in cold blood. If you don't want the same to happen to you, then run and never look back." I clench my fists as the words escape my lips, hoping that Sakura would agree while at the same time hoping she would refuse. Silence dominates the conversation before Sakura releases a sigh.

"Ok…" She mutters out, causing my heart to slightly sink. "But I won't let things get to that point. I-I won't let you resort to that." She concludes, causing me to loosen the grip in my hands.

"Sakura…" I try, but she interrupts me.

"Don't Sakura me. I may not know everything about you, but I know you care about us… so …" She trails off before switching her gaze over to Sasuke, causing me to release a sigh.

"Sakura. I know you're worried about him, but get some rest. You won't be any use if you're sleep deprived. I'll take the rest of the watch."

"But you're injuries…and hey you're changing the subj-" Sakura starts but I hold out a hand.

"This is nothing compared to what I've gone through before. Trust me." I answer before a smirk enters my face. "As for your other comment, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Her eye slightly twitches in annoyance before she releases a sigh. "Alright…wake me up if something happens…" She states before falling fast asleep.

As her breathing evens out, I take the chance to gaze at everyone's sleeping faces.

"I never meant for any of this to happen… how much more are you going to take away from me before you're satisfied…Orochimaru…" I whisper out before noticing the pained expression on Sasuke's face.

'Must be the fever...' I thought as I bend water onto my hand and place it on Sasuke's forehead. It glows the familiar light blue before his expression slowly relaxes as the water drips down the sides of his face. 'That should take care of it for now...' I muse before gazing at Naruto's sleeping face. 'As for you... I can only wait for you to wake up.'

"All I can do is watch now… so this is what it feel like to be useless." I mutter as I gaze up at the moon. "Everything always ends in pain… doesn't it?"

**{~}**

~Time skip: morning~

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screams out.

I snap my gaze to Sakura's form to see her body heaving in uneven breaths. Beads of sweat trail down her forehead as small tears leak from her eyes. She hastily glances at Sasuke before releasing a sigh of relief as she hugs herself.

"Nightmare?" I ask, earning a nod in reply. Sakura releases another sigh as she allows her arms to drop. "You should rest now." Sakura suggests as she makes a move over towards me. "You stayed up for most of the night."

"Now who's changing the subject now?" I jest before frowning at the obvious exhaustion on her face. Before I could protest further, she throws a kunai toward the opening of the cave. Following the kunai's path, I peek over the corner of the cave to see a squirrel running into the bushes. I quirk a brow at her but she waves it off as nothing.

"Ah..." I send her a skeptical glance but concede and take up her offer. I lean further against the wall and allow sleep to take me; however, it didn't take long for me to fall out of sleep when I notice the shift of water molecules near our camp.

'With the way the water is getting displaced... there are three people heading here... no they're already here.' I thought. 'But it might be better to pretend to sleep... give them some inkling of security.'

"Can you wake Sasuke-kun? We want to fight him." A sound ninja states.

'That voice… he was the one who attacked Kabuto…Dosu was it?'

Sakura stands and approaches the entrance of the cave.

"What are you talking about? What is your purpose? We know that a guy named Orochimaru is behind all of this." Sakura announces confidently.

The sound ninjas tense at Orochimaru's name.

'A possible connection to him?'

"What is the weird mark on Sasuke? Why is he going after Riku? What does he want with them?" Sakura continues.

"Riku as well? This changes things…" Dosu mutters to himself, "I wonder that too…what is _that person_ thinking?"

"But now that we heard that, we can't ignore it. I'll kill you first, then Sasuke and this Riku person." The other sound nin states gleefully.

"Wait, Zaku." Dosu slowly walks forward and bends down. "How unoriginal. There's no meaning to a trap if it isn't made well. So she threw that kunai so that the squirrel wouldn't get caught in the trap. Let's kill her right away."

They jump over to Sakura, but she releases a log trap to stop them. They pretend to be surprised before shattering the log into worthless pieces.

"To be honest, you have no talent. People like you need to work harder." Dosu calls out as he approaches Sakura.

'Time to wake up…'

I open my eyes, but before I can attack them, Lee jumps in and kicks them all away.

"Then the three of you also need to work harder." Lee adds confidently as he takes a stance before the entrance of the tree cave.

Dosu furrows his brows at Lee's sudden appearance. "Who are you?"

"Konoha's beautiful green beast… Rock Lee!"

I scoff. 'Yup… he's definitely a second Gai in the making…' I muse as several tendrils of water wrap around my hands.

Sakura turns to Lee in surprise. "Why are you here?"

"When you are in danger, I'll appear at any time." He stoops down and allows the squirrel on his shoulder to crawl away. "Not. It was thanks to this little guy."

She sends him a confused glance. "But right now, I'm your enemy too."

"I told you before. I would protect you until I die."

Sakura's eyes widen at his words as she thinks back to his promise at the start of the exam. It's obvious she never expected him to uphold his promise, but his actions speak for themselves. Realizing this, Sakura smiles warmly at Lee. "Oh, arigato."

I take this moment to grab Sakura by the shoulder. She immediately stiffens before relaxing once she turns to find it's only me behind her.

"Don't be too anxious now. I'm not letting you have all the fun." I state with a wink, earning a disapproving glance in response.

"You're in no shape to fight right now." She whispers back harshly.

"And that matters why?" I quirk a brow. "It doesn't right?"

"Of course that matters, you-!"

I cut her off. "It doesn't matter." I repeat. "I'm just protecting who I want to protect. Doesn't matter how or what I need to do. It's that simple." Sakura tries to grab my wrist to stop me, but I shake her off. "You understand, don't you? Wouldn't you do the same?" I mutter, not looking back at her.

"I-"

"Besides, you said you won't let me resort to _that _right?" I jest, shoving away the sickening amusement bubbling in my mind. I already knew she wouldn't be able to. Those words, those sweet yet empty words amount to nothing in the face of desperation. She had to have realized that too and knew she wouldn't have stopped me if it meant living. It's just a simple, yet painful truth.

I never hear her answer, seeing as I had already revealed myself to the sound ninjas as I stand next to Lee. In response, Dosu tosses the Earth Scroll to Zaku.

"So you're our other target?" Dosu tilts his head to the side as he scrutinizes me. "Looks like we have no other choice. Zaku, I'll give Sasuke-kun to you. Kin, you get Riku. I'll kill the other two."

As the orders leave Dosu's mouth, Lee looks in my direction and notices the fatigue wearing down on me. My breathing is slightly shallow and small beads of sweat trail down my face.

'Seriously not a good time to be acting up…' I grit my teeth in annoyance. '…I can't risk taking it now… no one knows about this condition yet…' I thought as I clench my hands, feeling the water's cool grip around my hands soothing.

"Riku-san, you are in no condition to fight." Lee mutters as he moves in front of me.

I send him an annoyed glance. "Drop the san." I bite out, "And worry about protecting Sakura. Thinking about me will only hold you back."

"But-" He protests as I stand next to him.

"If you really do care about Sakura, protect her with everything you have. Got it?" I ask as I send a glare his way.

He slightly flinches before replying, "Of course. I will protect her with my life."

I slightly smile at his dedication before taking out my earplugs and putting them on. I'm not sure if Lee would need them, but I had to get any advantage I can. As I get into a defensive stance, I feel pain rippling through my whole body.

'It's progressed this far…Looks like that nap wasn't nearly enough to repair everything.' I thought in annoyance. 'Looks like using the Bikoume is out.'

"Are you really going to fight me?" Kin sneers out. "I'm on a whole different level than you."

'At least I know how to read a person's lips…'

"If you're talking about skill then I agree. You are on a lower level than me." I state with a smirk as water encases my arms before freezing to form my ice claws. "Going anytime soon oba-san?"

Taking the bait, Kin charges forward with a snarl. Pushing off the ground and twisting on the ball of my foot, I reappear behind her before solidifying an ice spike at the bottom of my shoe and nailing her in the spine. Snapping the ice off, I form my ice claws and slash at the body, but it only reverts into useless chunks of wood.

'Replacement jutsu.' As the thought crosses my mind, I twist on the ball of my foot to avoid several senbon sent my way, allowing them to embed themselves against the trunk of a nearby tree.

'Strange. Why are there bells attached to them?'

Kin forms several hand signs as a smirk adorns her face. "It's over."

I gaze blankly at her before looking back at the bells.

'Hmm… so she's trying to manipulate the sound of the bells to harm me… too bad it won't work.'

Realizing her jutsu had no effect, she runs at me with a kunai, but before she makes contact I grab her hands, allowing the ice to encase them. Her eyes widen in surprise before she kicks me away, knocking me back several meters before I lower my crossed arms. Eyeing her warily, I take a defensive stance before clicking my tongue in annoyance.

'Looks like this is as far as my body will go now.' I thought bitterly as I notice my legs trembling under the strain of my weight, not to mention the actual weights attached to my body. 'This isn't even a real fight... it's nothing like Danzo's training and yet I'm barely standing. How pathetic.'

*pant* *pant*

'...The fate of lightning users really is the curse of the clan.' I muse before shifting my gaze to Kin. 'As for the current situation... She's no a fool... she knows I can't last much longer.' I thought as I see her cringing at the shrinking ice. 'Even if that ice continues to crush her limbs, there's not enough time for it to completely sever the hands. How unfortunate.'

"Looks like you couldn't handle her eh Kin?" I snap my gaze to Zaku as he makes his way over with a smirk adorning his face. Kin sends him a glare before he places his palms over her encased arms and shatters the ice.

"Why not let me handle her? After all, the other one is almost down for the count. Maybe you can have some fun with that other girl." At his words, I snap my gaze other to Lee to see him on the ground, clutching his bleeding ear in pain. As he collapses, Dosu makes a move towards Sakura; however, before the attack could connect, Lee intervenes, taking the full force of the attack. His eyes dull as his body crashes against the ground

"Lee-san!" Sakura yells.

Before I can make a move toward Sakura, I notice a shift in the water molecules to my left and turn to see Zaku charging toward me. A wall of ice intercepts him but a large torrent of wind shatters it, sending it and me flying towards a tree. My back harshly collides with the tree – knocking out my earplugs as I cough out a bit of blood. I shakily get on my knees and hands as I try to get back my bearings.

"Your hair is glossier than mine." Kin comments. "If you have time for your hair, train more!"

Looking toward the source of the voice, I see Kin roughly holding Sakura down by her hair.

"Sakura…" I mutter out as I strain to stand, only to have myself suspended in the air by my throat. I claw at the hand gripping my throat before a laugh causes me to shift my eyes behind me to meet Zaku's amused eyes.

"Not so tough, are you?" He sneers as he tightens his hold on my neck. "I don't see what he sees in you… You're just a pathetic genin. All talk and no bite. But that doesn't matter…let's see how much fun I can have with you."

My vision begins to blur in and out as I see him take several kunai and dig them into my leg. I clench my jaw in an attempt to stop myself from screaming, but that only causes him dig the kunai in deeper.

"Zaku, kill that Sasuke guy in front of this pig. I still have things to settle with that girl." Kin calls out.

"That sounds good." He drops me onto the ground without a second glance as he makes his way over to Sasuke. I gulp down much needed air as I look up to see Sakura attempting to stop him, only to have Kin yank her back.

"Don't move!" She orders.

I take the kunai out of my leg before slowly getting onto my knees. Sakura looks at me sadly before her head drops down. Tears start falling from her eyes as her hands clench the ground.

"You…Naruto…and Sasuke-kun… you all have been the ones fighting while I've just been the one protected. I don't want to just watch anymore… I don't want to just watch your backs as you all continue forward." Sakura chokes out. "I.."

"Sakura…" I mutter out before receiving a harsh kick from Dosu, causing me to release the kunai in my hold as I land harshly on my side.

"Tch. Enough of the sentimental crap. Let's do this." Zaku mutters out in distaste as he continues to walk over to Sasuke's unconscious form.

"No…" I attempt to stand, only to crash back onto my side as I continue to watch Zaku closing in on Sasuke. Blood trails along my neck as I feel the wound reopen. "Get away from him!" With everything I had left, I push myself from the ground, only to have an arm wrap around my neck in a choking hold.

"Just enjoy the show." Dosu states with a chuckle before slightly tightening his arm. "It will be you last after all."

'Damn it… I…I' I clench my teeth as I run through the possibilities. 'Looks like I have to resort to it…'

My vision begins to fade in and out as the lack of oxygen takes its toll on my body. Voices can be heard in the background, but they sound muffled. I can't exactly tell what was going on until Dosu decides to loosen his hold on my neck, allowing much needed oxygen to flood my lungs.

"Let go damn it!" Zaku yells.

As my vision clears, I see Sakura biting down on Zaku's arm while his other arm is stabbed with her kunai. Annoyed and enraged, Zaku continues to punch Sakura in the face in an attempt to make her let go. As the hits increase, more blood trickles down her forehead before blood pools out from her mouth. Despite the countless hits, Sakura desperately holds on as a pained expression enters her face. Several tears leak through her eyes but she ignores them.

'That's enough… just stop…' A pained expression overtakes my face as I see a younger version of myself enduring similar treatment in Sakura's place.

"Get away from her!" I cry out, earning chuckles from the other sound nin.

"Are you really in a position to make demands?" Kin asks in amusement.

'Why… why can't I protect them…'

"Why so silent? Enjoying the show?" Kin asks before laughing darkly. "The same will happen to that Sasuke guy then you. You're pathetic…You're too weak to do anything to help them. I don't see what interest that man has in you."

"Shut up…" I growl out.

"Ehh? What… are you mad now? I'm only speaking the truth. All of you are as good as dead and there's nothing you can do to stop it." She continues. "Oi Zaku! Throw that girl off you already. Let's kill her and Sasuke in front of this weakling. I want to see this pathetic girl cry before I finish her."

'How dare you…'

I slowly reach up and grab Dosu's arm with my ice claws.

'Treating them like trash…'

"That won't work on me." He states confidently.

'I won't forgive them.'

"Why don't you just shut up?" I growl out.

"Nani?"

Before he can react, my ice claws dig into his arm, freezing the cells from the inside out. A cry of pain escapes his lips as he hastily pries me off his arm, throwing me over toward Sakura. Several shards of ice break off from my claws from his attempt to pry me of his person, further freezing and immobilizing his arm. Blood drips down his hand as purple patches appear on the surface of his skin.

"What did you do?" Dosu growls out.

"Something that was apparently not… supposed to work." I breathe out as I send him a smirk.

"Heh. Change in plans…Let's just kill these two. This is getting boring." Zaku suggests as he stands in front of us with his palms raised. Realizing his plan, I position myself in front of Sakura.

"Riku… you're in no shape to fight anymore!" She whispers harshly.

"In theory." I answer, causing her to send a slight glare me way. "But with how things are going, I may not have to interfere."

"What are-"

Before Sakura can finish, Shika, Ino and Chouji rush in and stand protectively in front of us.

"Some new weird ones are here now." Zaku grounds out, annoyance clear on his face.

Sakura glances from me to the three in front of us. "Wha- how…Ino…why are you here?"

Ino smiles back confidently. "I'm not going to let you take all the good parts in front of Sasuke-kun!"

"You should just be honest with her baka." I state with a sigh, causing a slight blush to appear on Ino's face before her confident smile reappears.

'You still care for her as a friend…don't you Ino? You really should tell her.'

"They keep swarming in…" Dosu mutters as he holds his damaged arm.

"W-what are you two thinking? These guys are dangerous!" Chouji sputters as he frantically tries to escape Shika's hold on his muffler.

I stare blankly at Chouji. 'Oh yeah…I forgot about him…didn't think he would jump out here…'

"It's troublesome, but we have to do this. Since Ino revealed herself, we men can't just run away." Shika replies before casting me a glance. "Besides, I'm not going to let someone get away with hurting Riku."

"Meaning you didn't want to be considered gutless and have me bug you about it for the rest of your life." I interpret as I close one of my eyes and tilt my head to the side.

He sends me a deadpan look before facing the sound ninjas, causing me to slightly smile. He never did like it when I teased him about his manhood.

"Sorry to get you two involved, but we're a three-man team. We do everything together." Ino adds apologetically, only for Shika to wave it off.

Chouji, on the other hand, looks ready to run away at any given moment. Luckily (in a sense) Zaku calls Chouji a fatty, riling him enough to want to fight.

"Ahh… boys and their testosterone. What will they do without them?" I sigh out. "At least it can work to our advantage…"

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura breathes out. Noticing the worry in her voice, I follow her gaze to see swirling purple chakra radiating from Sasuke before zeroing in on his pained expression.

'What's going on…?'

I grit my teeth as I watch the pain in Sasuke's face increase. No matter how much I want to help him, there's nothing I can do. It seems he had to fight whatever battle he's having in his mind on his own.

'What kind of friend am I… to let you take that hit for me…'

All thoughts come to a crashing halt when a hand lands on my shoulder. I cast a glance to the side to see Shika sending me a reassuring look. "He's going to be fine."

I can't help the sad smile on my face as I pat his hand in reply. Releasing a sigh, he slowly removes his hand before facing the sound ninja.

"Sakura. Riku. Take care of those two back there." Ino orders without casting either of us a glance back.

Sakura and I exchange a look before nodding in reply. I didn't see how Ino can catch that with her back to us, but it seems she got the message.

"Formation Ino! Shika! Chou!"

"Go for it Chouji!" Ino yells encouragingly.

He nods in reply before activating his Baika no Jutsu (Double Weight technique), which causes him to double in size. Not long after, he uses another jutsu that causes him to act as a meat tank. He spins toward Zaku who attempts to stop Chouji with his wind. The winds only stall Chouji for a moment before he flies into the air to perform an aerial attack, raining debris onto Zaku. Dosu notices Zaku's dilemma and rushes in to push him out of the way; however, before he can reach Zaku, Shika traps him in his Shadow Possession Jutsu. Chouji continues to descend, but before he makes contact, Zaku jumps out of the way unharmed. Unfortunately, that can't be said about the shattered ground.

"Dosu! What are you doing?" Kin yells out in frustration; however, her expression quickly turns into shock once she notices Dosu trapped in Shika's technique. Ino tells Shika to take care of her body before she faces Kin with a determined look.

"Ninpou, Shintenshin no Jutsu!" (Mind Transfer Technique)

Kin's eyes glaze over as Ino's body becomes limp and Shika catches her. I glance over to Chouji and see him trying to land a hit on Zaku.

"Kin!" Zaku yells out frantically.

The girl doesn't respond, causing Dosu to ask her what's wrong. The girl merely smirks before pointing a kunai towards her throat.

"This is the end. If you move, this Kin girl is dead. If you don't want her to get hurt, leave your scroll and get out of here." Kin states confidently.

'So Ino's controlling her…'

I glance over at Zaku and Dosu. Smirks quickly replace their surprised expressions as they listen to Kin's demands.

'This isn't good… they're going to try to kill her.'

"…Once you two back off far enough where we can't sense your chakra, I'll let this girl go."

Kin breaks off from her speech as she notices them laughing.

"Chouji!" Kin yells out.

"No they're trying to-!" Sakura starts but was too late to warn them.

Zaku sends an air cutter toward Kin, but before it connects, Chouji appears in front of her to block the brunt of the attack. Kin's back hits against the tree, causing blood to pour out of Ino's mouth.

"What's wrong with them? They hurt their own teammate?" Kin coughs out as she shakily pushes herself up with her forearms.

"You took us too lightly." Zaku comments smugly, arm poised at Kin's fallen form.

"Our purpose is not a dumb scroll or to get through this exam." Dosu mutters out.

"Nani?"

"It's Sasuke-kun and Riku." Dosu answers as Shika's jutsu weakens, allowing Dosu to slowly regain control of his body. "Oh, I see that your Shadow Bind Jutsu can only be used for five minutes at most."

"It's not Shadow Bind, it's Shadow Possession." Shika corrects, irritation clear on his face.

'_**Are you going to let them die?'**_

'Who said that?' I thought as I narrow my eyes and cast glances at my surroundings.

'_**Me. You are me and I am you. We are the same entity. I repeat my question. Will you let them die?'**_

Dosu ignores Shika and turns his attention back to Kin before glancing over at Ino's unconscious body.

"And that girl's technique… it seems that she is able to slip into another's mind and take control of the body. Seeing that blood from her mouth, it looks like if we kill Kin, that girl will die too."

I grit my teeth in annoyance.

'What kind of question is that? Of course I won't let them die.'

'_**Then you know what to do…don't you? You can't escape this path. After all, you were never meant to reside in the same realm as your friends. Do not forget that. We'll meet again soon…my other self.' **_

'Wait. What do you mean?'

No response. Tch. She chose an excellent time to be quiet…not. What did she mean when she said her other self? I quickly shake my head to rid myself of these thoughts. This isn't the time to question my sanity, if I had one that is…

I look over at Sakura as I filter through the possibilities of my choice. None turn out favorable, but to be honest, I had no idea what would happen. Even so, I already made my choice.

"Sakura." Surprise flitters across her face as she turns to me, noticing the sad smile adorning my face.

"No matter what happens… forgive me…" I mutter out.

Before she can answer, I close my eyes as I allow my rage, hate, frustration, and sadness to engulf me to a point where it feels suffocating. My breathing slowly becomes harsher as my heart rate increases. The floodgate finally crack, allowing the stewing emotions to completely boil over and overtake everything.

"You're going to kill a teammate?" Kin mutters out surprised.

A cruel chuckle escapes his throat as Zaku answers, "If we have to, yes."

"It's over." Shika states out calmly as he realizes a sigh.

I snap my eyes open as purple lightning creeps onto my skin, causing Shika's eyes to immediately snap to mine before a scream rips itself from my lips. Pain courses through my veins as the lightning continues to solidify. My vision swims as the figures before me looked nothing more than menacing shadows…shadows trying to consume me. My body slumps onto the ground as ice encases my arms. I feel my canines growing as the ground beneath my grip breaks.

*crack* *crack*

'What's going on? This.. this isn't supposed to happen…if this keeps going, they'll all die.'

Another scream erupts from my mouth as I feel the seal burning on my neck, further scrambling my thoughts.

"Riku!" "Riku what's wrong?"

'There's no turning back…whatever happens…happens…Gomen ne…everyone…' I thought as I clench my eyes shut.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I feel like stopping here. (^.^) I hope you enjoyed the chapter and hopefully it wasn't too confusing. More will be revealed about the girl in the next chapter. Things seem to be getting more interesting now. XD What's wrong with Riku's seal? What was Itachi's purpose for altering the seal? More will be revealed in the next or later chapters. Hope you all continue to read. (^.^)<strong>

**If something is unclear and you just want some answers, leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer it without spoiling too much of the story. **

**Well until next time, review.. and **

**Ja ne.~**

_New note: Some of the scenes were altered to add character development or to make the story flow better._

**(Updated 7/25/14)**


	12. Chapter 12: Looking Beyond Spoken Words

-Chapter 12: Looking Beyond the Spoken Words-

**AN: This chapter took me a while to think up. Hopefully this chapter makes sense. (^.^;) Also, I would like to thank everyone who has read/reviewed/favorite/alerted my story. I want to give special thanks to ****Mizuki99****, ****The Goddess Of War Athena****, and ****Moonlttiger**** for reviewing. They had some comments/questions I want to address:**

**Mizuki99**: **First off, I apologize for pissing you off because of the comment I made in the last chapter. You did make valid points though and thanks for telling me about it. I haven't encountered a religious/beliefs question but it's good to know. I want to know what you mean when you say she's incomplete? It could be because the story isn't finished yet, but I want to know what you mean when you said it. It'll help me try to write to other chapters so that Riku doesn't seem out of character or mary-sue. But thanks for expressing your opinions XD I'm glad you like the suspense. But yes I was planning on making Riku save Itachi in Shippuden. Never really liked how they killed him off. T.T**

**The Goddess Of War Athena: Thanks for reviewing and it's alright you disappeared. I'm just glad you're still reading my story and enjoying it. Riku has components of a mary-sue, but at least she's not overly like one. (^.^) The preliminary matches are coming up soon and hopefully they don't disappoint.**

**Moonlttiger: Thanks for the review. (^.^) I just felt like leaving the chapter there, since I felt like being mean. But it was more because I felt too lazy to write more..Sorry about that but hopefully this chapter makes up to it.**

***Hope that answers your questions/comments. Now on to the story. (^.^)**

**{~}**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

'_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

*Altered chapter (see announcement 2)*

* * *

><p>'<em>Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show you is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see a way to fly.'<em>

_~Richard Bach_

'_**Everything can be seen as a game. Events always change the ending, but what happens when the ending is already determined? Should I keep fighting to change the ending or accept it as it comes?'**_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

* * *

><p><strong>(First person perspective)<strong>

"What's happening to her?!"

"Pull yourself together! Riku!"

'Those voices… who are they?'

I weakly crack open my eyes to see shadowed figures overtaking my vision as my breathing continues to come out in ragged pants. The figures slowly close in, causing me to release a growl in warning as ice continues to cover my arms and legs. They don't head my warning; they continue to close in… they keep closing in… cornering me… trying to kill me… Not again. Not again.

"All of you_…__**get away from me!**_" I bite out as shards of ice hurdle towards the figures before blocking me from view.

Cries of surprise and anger surround me as I close in on myself more, wrapping my arms around my body in an attempt to further protect myself.

'Stop… Just leave me alone.' I shut my eyes tighter in an attempt to shut out the shouts from outside. 'Why won't they leave me alone… I just want to be alone! I don't want to die!' All I feel is pain as I wrap my arms tighter around myself in a futile attempt in reassurance. Where was I? Are they trying to kill me again?

Lightning licks against my skin, blanketing and caressing me in a protective hold as the ice continues to creep against my skin. The pain's subsiding. How?

'**It's alright. Don't be afraid.' **

'Who's there?'

No response. A burning sensation trails down my neck before it wraps around my arm in a vice-like hold. I crack my eyes open to see a red substance – blood- coiling around my left arm to form vine-line appendages before the ice shatters as the lightning crackle against my skin, welcoming the solidified blood on my arm.

'N-nani?'

'**Don't worry. Just let go.'**

I clench my eyes shut once again as the pain increases, causing me to release a small cry.

'**Let everything go. You'll finally be free.' **A voice soothes, drawing me further in.

Concentrating on the voice, I allow my breathing to level out.

'**Let it all go.'**

"Let it all…go." I repeat before feeling a hurricane of emotions engulfs me, choking me, suffocating me. My eyes snap open before all I see is red.

*crack*snap*crack*

**{~}**

**(Third person perspective)**

The Konoha ninjas watch the ice shell with confused and horrified looks, wondering what had caused their comrade to suddenly attack them. Cracks suddenly appear on the surface of the ice before the prison shatters – shooting the broken fragments in the direction of the sound ninja who immediately jump away to allow the projectiles to impale the trees instead. An icy claw grasps one of the broken ice chunks as Riku staggers out of the cage, head bowed down. Her right arm is encased with ice whereas her left arm, if it could even be called that, is a mass of red vine-like appendages that took on the shape of a claw. Finally lifting her head, Riku glowers at the figures before her with her mismatched slitted eyes – giving her the appearance of a beast rather than a human. A low growl resounds in her throat as purple lightning crackles around her body, circling her as if a waiting for her command to attack.

Shock covers the faces of the Konoha ninjas as they recognize the expression on her face. A deranged smile overtakes Riku's expression, clearly showing the observers her flesh-tearing canines. Fear spikes in their throats, momentarily choking them as they take in the figure eyeing them like prey. Sakura's form trembles as she watches the scene before her.

"This is…" She trails off as she wraps her arms around herself. "No…, "she shakes her head from side to side, "She wouldn't…it's still her… onegai…"

'She's still in there somewhere… she's has to be.' Sakura thought desperately as she stares at the "monster" before her. 'Is this what she's hiding from us?'

Clenching his teeth and shutting his eyes away from the sight before him, Shikamaru turns away. His arms tremble in anger, knowing he could have somehow stopped this before he releases a sigh and snaps his eyes open.

"Ino, get out of there; you're going to get confused as the enemy like that! Go back to your own body. Chouji come back over here now!" Shikamaru orders frantically from his position behind the bushes. He knew what she could do and at that moment, no matter how much he trusted her, he couldn't entirely trust that… thing… in front of him right now. Intrigued by the voice, Riku turns her eyes over to Shikamaru, immediately noticing him flinch as their eyes lock. Riku drops her smile as she stares at the figure before in her confusion. Something akin to recognition sparks in her eyes before she faces the sound ninjas, shocking Shikamaru.

'She... recognized me?' He thought in disbelief. 'That can't be... she's supposed to lose every semblance of rational thought and eliminate every person in her sight...' He shakes his head. 'No... that's not true either. Only Naruto... she's only been known to slaughter anyone except Naruto, but just now... she showed signs of her normal self.' Knitting his brows together in thought, he watches Riku stalking toward the sound ninja, ignoring Kin's collapsing body as Ino returns to her body. 'Is it possible she's learned to differentiate friend from foe? That would be ideal... but I can't put much faith in that, no matter how much I trust her.'

Righting herself, Ino sends a worried glance at Shikamaru's darkening expression. Not long after, Chouji reappears at Shikamaru's side - hand clutched to his chest as he tries to regulate his breathing.

"This... this is way over... our heads." Chouji gasps, earning a shaky nod from Ino in response.

"Yeah... hey, Shikamaru." She prods his side, but gets no response as he just stares unseeingly ahead. Ino and Chouji share a nervous glance before directing their attention back to their teammate.

'There's too many possible outcomes and none of them look good.' Shikamaru realizes before glancing over at Ino who was prodding his shoulder in an attempt to gain his attention.

"Oi Shikamaru, it's about time you answer." She scolds, but it lacks the usual bite. Tightening her grip on his jacket, she murmurs, "What... what is she?"

Shikamaru's grip tightens momentarily before relaxing. "That," he trails off with a sigh, "... there's no simple answer." His gazes lowers to the ground as he releases Ino from his grasps. "She's human... but this side of her isn't. What you're seeing right now is what the rumors portrayed... ever heard of the monster that sent those genin and chunin to the hospital in our academy years?"

She nods dully. "Of course... who hasn't? It was just some story the instructors told us to get us to listen to them." She waves off.

Shikamaru shakes his head. "If only that was true... that monster... that was her."

Chouji lets out a choked gasp before paling considerably at the news. "S-seriously?! Oh man..." He palms his scrunched eyes.

Ino gawks. "Y-you have to be joking!" She whispers harshly, casting a fearful glance at Riku before facing Shikamaru once again. "She nearly sent those people to the hospital in pieces! They were barely distinguishable. How was she even made a genin in the first place?!"

"That doesn't matter now." He mutters bitterly, knowing exactly how shaken up Riku had been after the incident.

Lowering his hands, Chouji looks between his two teammates before meekly muttering, "B-but someone stopped her right?"

"Yeah..." Shikamaru lets out a deep sigh.

"Well, who was it?" Ino shakes Shikamaru, silently cursing him for his seemingly snail-paced responses. "Out with it, Shikamaru!"

"Naruto..."

Ino stares at him in disbelief, allowing her grip to slip from his clothes. "Y-you're kidding..."

Chouji slumps forward. "We're doomed..." He murmurs before covering his head to shield himself from the stray rubble falling from the sky. Blinking in confusion, he peeks over the bush to see Riku grinding her foot in a discarded log in the middle of the crater. Growling low in her throat, she flexes her ice claw.

"Tch." Zaku clicks his tongue in annoyance as he gazes at the cut along his forearm. "Damn bitch doesn't know when to call it quits." He scoffs before clenching his now trembling hands. 'What's going on? My limbs won't stop shaking. Heh...' He thought in confusion before smirking. 'Must be excitement for finally crushing this joke of a genin.'

Turning his attention back to his teammates, Chouji catches Ino yelling, "You're not actually thinking of going up against that, that thing?!"

Shikamaru pinches the bridge of his nose. "What choice do we even have?" He lets out a deep sigh. "Naruto's out. Sasuke's out. Sakura's no help. That just leaves the three of us."

Ino slumps forward. "I'm not stupid Shikamaru. I know that, but... look at her... what makes you say we even have a chance?"

"She recognized me." He mutters, catching only Chouji's attention. "She's still there... somewhere. We just need to wake her up."

Ino looks at him in disbelief. "And how do we even do that? If you haven't noticed, she's pretty willing to rip those two into shreds." She motions to the sound ninja.

"I'm working on it." Shikamaru mumbles as he brings his hands together - fingertips touching and fingers splayed out to form a cage in his hands. "That troublesome girl."

"Shikamaru-" Ino starts, but Chouji's hand stops her.

"Trust him." Chouji cuts in. "If it's Shikamaru, then of course it'll work."

She sends Chouji a resigned nod before glancing over at Shikamaru's face to see him closing his eyes as he shifts through various scenarios in his head.

'You may be cold and distant…sarcastic, a cross dresser, and a jerk at times…especially for playing with my emotions when we first met…' Ino trails off in thought as she gazes at Riku once again, 'But if Shikamaru and Sakura care that much about you, then I will help you. You can't be all bad if they see you as a friend.'

"Close you almost had us." Zaku whispers to Riku's ear as he appears behind her with a kunai pressed against her neck. A condescending sneer appears on his face as he applies more pressure on her throat, allowing a trail of blood to escape from the newly formed cut. "You let your guard down." He adds as he presses on the kunai with more force, causing more blood to leak out. Riku turns her gaze to Zaku with a disinterested look.

"How disgusting…a mere minor Sound ninja…acting like victors by beating those second-class ninja?" Neji calls down to the figures in the clearing, causing everyone to snap their attention to him.

"Nani?" Zaku growls out, momentarily forgetting Riku in front of him.

"They're from Lee-san's team…" Sakura breathes out, causing Neji to shift his gaze to her before following her line of sight to the unconscious Lee.

"Lee!" Tenten calls out, shock clearly written on her face.

"They keep coming out like roaches." Dosu mutters, annoyance coating his words. That only causes a scowl to enter Neji's face.

"That bobbed hair kid there is on our team… looks like you went overboard with him!" Neji activates his Byakugan. "If you continue to fight, we will fight with everything we have."

Dosu and Zaku tense up as Neji's gaze falls onto them; however, they quickly compose themselves and glare back, not noticing the growing smirk adorning Riku's face.

* * *

><p>~Meanwhile…. ~<p>

-In Mindscape-

**(First person perspective)**

I blink my eyes to adjust to the dark before noticing my new surroundings, especially the blood drenching almost every corner of the area. Trailing my gaze around, I note down the familiar black vines snaking around the walls and pillars of the castle-like corridor.

I let out a whistle. "Like a scene from those horror novels." I observe as I walk down the cobbled path, rolling my eyes at the sloshing sound my feet made against the splattering blood. "To make the details this exact..." I trail off as I divert my attention to the two running streams of blood bordering the path. "Makes me feel like I'm marching straight into a trap."

*tap*tap*

I narrow my eyes at the sound and stop.

"**So you've finally come…" **A snake-like voice hisses out.

My eyes widen at the voice. "Please don't tell me…" I mutter, turning around to see Orochimaru smiling down at me.

I grimace. 'Yup... just had to be him… what did I do to deserve this…?' I thought. Luck is definitely not on my side right now.

"**You're not happy to see me dear? After all that I've done for you… why act so cold?" **He asks in mock sadness.

I quirk a brow. "All you've done for me?" I scoff. "And what would that be? Killing my clan in order to save me? It'll take more than words for me to believe that."

**"Taking Sasuke-kun's advice to heart, are we?" **His smirk widens. **"I'm pleased to know you're choice of friends has not deteriorated as much as I first thought; still, there are some that are less desirable. Tell me, why does a shadow such as yourself wish to be around such fragile specks of light? I had thought you would have learned your lesson after your first light died by your hands."**

I narrow my eyes, refusing to answer. He lets out several chuckles at my lack of response.

**"A shadow can only be a strong as its light... or so they say, but that's not entirely true. Though considered two halves of a whole, they are foremost individual entities - entities that have their own constitution above all else. They will always try to outshine or drown out the other to survive." ** He explains. **"Your clan enacted this system to increase the survival rate of lightning users, but it soon turned into a rather popular clan teaching. Now, let me ask you again, what happens when the light can't match its shadow?"**

"The shadow runs rampant." I answer before smirking. "But even if my light is what you consider weak, he's far from it. After all, he's always brought me back and always will."

He eyes me curiously before letting out several chuckles. "**Is that so..."** He muses. "**Then let's settle this with a game to see how true those words are. I wonder, will you be able to protect your friends?"**

I send him a glare. "What do you want with them?"

"**Your friends? They are nothing to me. But you and Sasuke-kun… that's a different story." **His long tongue slides across his lips. **"You have something I want, but it hasn't reached its full potential. That seal of yours prevents you from achieving it. Don't worry… my mark will erase your binds. You should be thanking me."**

I place my hand over the seal. "And what exactly is this mark?"

**"Patience, my dear. All will be clear to you in due time and by then, you'll realize where you truly belong - at my side."**

I scoff. "Don't be so sure."

**"The same words again. The surprises just keep coming." **He sends me an amused glance. **"Why don't I remind you what you truly are?"**

Before I can respond, he disappears from sight.

"Same words..." I repeat in confusion before shaking my head. "Must be nothing... snakes are never to be trusted after all." I murmur to myself as I continue down the long corridor. It isn't long before I reach the end of the hallway where countless vines cover the wall in a writhing black mass.

I stare at the wall in disbelief. "This is _definitely_ not weird." I mutter before reaching out to touch the vines, only to have them tightly wrap around my arm and yank my toward the wall.

"Nani?" Eyes wide, I dig my heels into the ground to fight against the pulling vines before noticing my feet sliding against the wet floor. 'Right... the blood.' I remind myself as I sever the vines, only to have more wrapping themselves around me. With a surprisingly harsh yank, the vines pull me forward before completely submerging me in its writhing mass.

-Scene change: Amarante Compound-

As I slowly open my eyes to get a bearing of my surroundings, I hear screams breaking through the silence of the night. The ground was jagged and had many protruding features, probably from someone's earth bending. Blood was splattered around the compound and corpses were building up on the walkway.

"So this is what he wanted to show me…" I mutter angrily to myself. 'What can I do? This is the past and even if I tried to help… nothing would happen…'

I continue to walk down the pathway towards the main house until I noticed a small girl running frantically away. I look forward and see a house engulfed in a spiral of blue flames.

"Oka-san…" I mutter out as I watch the fire devour the small house. I clench my hands, feeling my anger surfacing once again. "You knew… didn't you? You knew that you were going to die this day….that's why you protected me… but why? Why would you risk the safety of this clan to protect me?"

An ear piercing scream quickly breaks me out of my thoughts as I look back to find the source. A crimson seal begins to shine brightly on my younger self's neck as she gets into a crouching position in front of the two ninjas. They slowly step back in response but hold out their weapons to defend themselves.

"_**Why… why did you have to take everything away from me? **_The girl growls out before digging her claws into the ground.

"Tsk. Just kill her already!"

With that, the two ninja speed at the little girl, but within moments ice spikes erupt from the ground and pierce their bodies. Their screams echo in my ears, but my younger self ignores it and slowly staggers toward them. One manages to free his hand and throw a kunai at her right eye, nicking it only slightly. The cut soon burns away. Wiping away the pooling blood from her eye, she fixes her gaze on the two twitching bodies sputtering indistinguishable curses as more blood pools from their mouths from their struggles.

'It's useless for them.' I thought, feeling no sympathy for their predicament. 'They brought this upon themselves.'

Growling, my younger self holds her hand out before smirking in satisfaction at the stiffening bodies as their blood follows her command. With a deranged smirk, she clenches her hand, causing the blood to explode from the bodies and painting the area a sickening crimson. Lowering her hand, she gazes at the lumps of meat before shifting her gaze at the blood drenching her clothes.

**_"Kill... pain... no more... suffering." _**She murmurs before she collapses on the floor and the seal disappears under her skin.

"It must hurt..." I muse to myself as I gaze down at my younger self. "Being a monster to protect yourself... to stop that emotional pain from overwhelming you." I close my eyes. "Add on the need to protect your light and that's how I am now." I smirk. "Looks like there's no going back from here."

The sound of clapping reaches my ears and I turn to the sound to see...

* * *

><p>~Outside Riku's Mind: Forest~<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

"If you don't like what we're doing, stop showing off and come down here." Dosu goads in an attempt to rile Neji, only for it to fall on deaf ears. Noticing an enormous shift in chakra, Neji transfer his gaze to the culprit - Riku - immediately noticing the demonic chakra radiating from her body. Eyes wide, he struggles to inhale the thick air closing around his throat. Riku eyes him in amusement as her chakra takes on the form of some monster - filling Neji's vision with menacing chakra screaming for bloodshed.

'What... is this? This unrelenting bloodlust...' He takes a small step back, earning a concerned look from Tenten. 'It's just like... no it's far worse.' He realizes before composing himself to notice another spiking chakra source. 'With things as they are, there's no need to interfere.'

Deactivating the Byakugan, Neji turns his gaze to Zaku. "It looks like that won't be necessary." He replies calmly despite the emotions churning inside him.

"Nani?" Dosu growls out, clearly offended.

"_**How boring."**_

At the sound of the warped voice, Dosu turns his attention back to Riku only to see empty space.

"Zaku, where is she?" Dosu looks around frantically, feeling unexplained fear clawing at his insides. Before Zaku can respond, Dosu is suspended in the air by a crimson claw digging into his neck. Dosu's eyes immensely widen as the vines wrap around his throat, slowly strangling him. Noticing his partner feebly swiping at the claw-like appendage, Zaku directs his hands at Riku and sends an air cutter in her direction. Anger overtakes her face as a snarl rips through her throat before she gazes at Zaku.

"_**Weakling."**_ She bites out before a wall of ice appears before her, shielding her from the onslaught of winds. _**"Give me a challenge!" **_She orders before chucking Dosu through the ice wall, immediately shattering it. The wind send the shards hurdling past Riku but she pays no mind to the trails of blood leaking from her new cuts. Noticing his partner coming his way, Zaku stops his attack to catch his partner before snapping the vines around Dosu's neck, allowing Dosu much needed oxygen.

"_**Come on… Hit me!" **_Riku cries out as she faces Zaku with a smirk, earning a scowl in response.

"Gladly." Zaku makes a move towards Riku; however, the sudden spike in chakra causes everyone to shift their attention towards Sasuke, immediately noticing the sinister purple chakra circling around his body as he staggers up. As he slowly lifts his head, black fire-like marks spread down his arm and face.

"Sakura…Riku…who did that to you two?" Sasuke growls out as hatred leaks into his voice.

Sakura's body trembles as she gazes up at Sasuke in fear. "Sasuke-kun…your body…"

He looks down at his hand and notices the marks. "Don't worry. More importantly, I can feel power surging inside me. He gave it to me. I finally understand now. I'm an avenger. I must obtain power no matter what, even if I must let the devil take hold of my body." He explains before shifting his eyes between Riku and Sakura.

"Sakura...Riku… say it. Who the hell hurt you?" He demands.

"It was me." Zaku answers smugly, forgetting the prior challenge he made.

At the answer, Sasuke quickly jerks his head in Zaku's direction as the curse mark continues to take over his body.

"This is too much for us..." Dosu chokes out before he scuttles backwards, only to bump into Riku.

"_**Ahh…there you are." **_Riku mutters with a smirk, causing the blood to drain from Dosu's face. Not noticing the panic in his partner's voice, Zaku positions his palms in Sasuke's direction.

"Wait you don't understand!" Dosu attempts before receiving a harshly downward kick to the stomach – immediately knocking the air out of his lungs. Blood stains the bandages wrapped around his mouth. Shakily, Dosu attempts to use his gauntlet, only to find it plugged with ice.

"_**You didn't think I forgot, did you?" **_Riku questions with a sickeningly sweet smile before she places a claw on the metal gauntlet. _**"Hit me… hurt me… kill me. What lies." **_As the final words escape her lips, screams of pain escape Dosu as the electricity surges through him. No one makes a move to help him as his body spasms and his eyes roll back into his head. Irritation coats Riku's eyes before she digs her claws into his body before tossing him against a nearby tree. His body meets the tree with a sickening crack before he slides to the ground. Labored pants escape him as his trembling body fights to stand.

"_**You're not putting up much of a fight." **_Riku adds before staggering over to Dosu, "_**Why don't you try killing me? Isn't that what you were planning before?"**_

No response. A blank expression enters Riku's face as she stares down at the trembling ninja before her.

"_**Where. Is. He?" **_Riku grounds out, earning herself a stuttering who in response.

"_**The arrogant bastard who wanted to kill me…everyone. Where is he now!" **_She grinds her foot atop his hand, earning a cry of pain.

"_**How does it feel? To be weak and taken advantage of…" **_Riku growls out. "_**Where is all your arrogance? C'mon, hurt me!"**_

He makes no response, irritating the girl further, but before she could harm him again, a groan reaches her ears, causing a smile to reach her face.

"_**Oh, so you're awake now.**_" She mutters before angling her head back to gaze at Kin.

At the voice, Kin looks up and notices Riku standing directly in front of her with a deranged smile. Noticing the demonic eyes staring down at her, fear rips through Kin's body, forcing her to scramble away in an attempt to escape – only to be pulled back by her hair and slammed against a tree. Slightly disoriented, Kin shakes her head before coming face to face with slitted mismatched eyes. At that moment, Zaku's screams fill the area, causing Kin's eyes to widen in fear.

"_**You too… you need to suffer too. Just like I did." **_Vines slowly surround Kin's neck as lighting begins to flow through it, causing her body to spasm. "_**I'll take everything away from you…every last drop of blood you can offer me…I'll gladly take it… just like you wanted to do with me…**_"

"No that's not… let go!" Kin cries frantically before they die out and are replaced with screams. With trembling hands, Kin desperately tries to pry off Riku's grip, but it only causes her hold to tighten. "_**Everything ends in pain doesn't it? Just like you said before…there is nothing you can do to stop this…**_" Riku murmurs with a dark chuckle.

"Riku stop! This isn't you. You're nothing like this… why won't you stop!" Sakura yells out frantically as she clutches onto Sasuke. "I know you're still in there somewhere because you haven't hurt us. Please… just stop…" Tears leak through Sakura's eyes as she continues to watch the scene before her in horror. 'Was this why you always distanced yourself? You were afraid of hurting us… of letting us see this side of you…'

Riku's eyes glaze over as she listens to Kin's screams of pain; it's obvious Sakura's voice didn't even faze her. The other observers could only watch from the sidelines, knowing they're in no condition to physically stop their fellow ninja, or rather, they're too afraid to try.

"Ino…" Ino glances over to Shikamaru. "I need you to use the Mind Transfer Technique."

"Nani?! How is that going to help anything?"

Shikamaru lets out a sigh. "Trust me. You won't be able to take over her body, but you will be in her mind. I need you to wake her up."

Ino sends him a look of disbelief. "What makes you think I can?"

Silence.

"It's our best shot." He finally answers. Ino sighs before snapping her gaze back at the sudden scream.

"Wh-what is she doing?" Ino cries in horror as she notices the smoke coming from Kin's neck. "She isn't- oh, kami." She coves her mouth as the putrid smell of burnt flesh enters her nose.

"This..." Chouji covers his mouth, holding down the bile rising in his throat. "She's..."

Shikamaru screws his eyes shut, doing his best to block out the cries and smell. 'This isn't you... you're not this, this thing... right?'

Chuckling, Riku releases her grip before slamming Kin's face against the tree._ **"How does it feel... the humiliation, the pain? I will return it all to you." **_Riku growls out as she intensifies the lightning, burning away more at the skin. _**"I'll make you understand ... every second of my miserable, pitiful life... pretending to be normal... human... living in fear of rejection..." ** _Tightening her grip, Riku snarls. _**"Never accepted... So alone... it hurt... you don't understand pain at all, you trash."**_

"Riku stop! It's enough! Just stop this… they won't hurt us anymore…we're all safe." Sakura pleads.

"Riku…" Sasuke mutters out. 'So this... is what you've been hiding all this this time..'

Finally having enough, Shikamaru snaps, "Oi Riku! Snap out of it already! Did you forget who you are? This isn't you; remember already!"

"Shikamaru…" Ino trails off as she stares at her teammate. 'Who would have thought your lazy ass would try so hard for someone else… let alone a girl.' Ino turns back to Riku. 'Whatever you are... I'm afraid of you... but it hurts to see this...'

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Ino forms the correct hand sign. "Alright. I'll give it a try but no guarantees. Ninpou, Shintenshin no Jutsu." (Mind Transfer Technique)

"_**Remember…" **_Riku repeats before her body suddenly jerks away from Kin's unconscious body.

* * *

><p>~Meanwhile…. ~<p>

-In Mindscape-

**(First person perspective)**

"Orochimaru." I spat out, but it does nothing to lessen the smirk on his face as he stops clapping.

He sends an appreciative look at the seal on my neck. "**You're finally using your powers for your own benefit I see…you're beginning to think like me my dear."**

I cover my seal in response as I send a glare back. "Like hell I am."

This causes him to chuckle. **"I wouldn't be so sure of that. The more you allow yourself to be consumed by this power, the deeper you fall into darkness. You don't have him to save you this time…so what will you do?"**

I grit my teeth in annoyance before forming a small smirk of my own.

"Simple. I'm not going to be like you." I state as I take out my kunai. "If everything ends in pain, then why not allow it to work in my favor."

"**I won't let you leave." **As the words escape his lips the surroundings suddenly revert back to the castle-like blood-drenched corridor. Before I can plunge the kunai into my leg, Orochimaru kicks me backwards, sending me into the red water. I try to resurface, but the water continues to drag me down.

"**Continue to drown in your own insanity before there's nothing left." **He states with a smile before crimson crystalline needles impale his form. **"N-nani?" **Before another word can escape his lips, his form cracks and shatters. That is all I see before something pulls me deeper into the water's depths. I open my mouth in surprise, allowing the water to enter my lungs. Coughing, I reach out toward the surface of the water only to feel myself drifting further and further down. Glancing up at the surface of the water, I see a blurry figure crouching down.

"Riku!"

The voice sounds female, but I can't tell who it belongs it. Everything feels hazy. The figure bangs against the water's surface as if it is solid. That can't be right.

"Wake up! You have to come back! Everyone's waiting for you!"

People are waiting for me? What a joke. Who would do that?

"Shikamaru sent me to get you back, and I'm not leaving until I do. I know you're not that thing that's terrorizing the Sound ninjas out there." More bangs. More ripples form on the surface, further distorting the image.

'Sound ninjas… why did that sound familiar…' Then it all clicks. The fight. My friends. The seal. I had to get out. I had to wake up. Pushing away from the invisible force pulling me back down, I swim toward the surface of the water. A hand breaks through the water's surface, held out towards me. I grab the hand before feeling myself leaving the water to crash into another body.

*pant*pant* I glance over to see Ino glancing at me, a relieved smile on her face.

"I finally found you. Do you have any idea how many dead ends this place has?" Ino waves her arms out over her head.

I stare back blankly at her. "How did you even get here?"

She crosses her arms at my question. "Shintenshin no Jutsu." She answers simply, as if the answer is obvious.

I roll my eyes at her. "What's going on outside?"

Her expression falls as she looks to her side. "I think it's better if you don't know, but I do know you need to snap out of it."

I glance away. "Maybe it's better if I just stay here." I mutter bitterly to myself.

*slap*

The sound echoes against the endless corridors of the area. I blink several times before facing Ino with a shocked expression.

"Was that really necessary?" I growl out.

"Of course baka! If I thought this was an entire waste of time, do you think I would be here right now, do you think Sakura would be crying her eyes out over you, do you think Shikamaru would be fretting over you? Shikamaru, the laziest person in the world, fretting over someone? Come on! He finds that too troublesome, but he was and still is! Everyone out there is waiting for you. So grow something and man up. Wake up!"

I clench my teeth. "Ahh… you know, for a loud mouth, you actually do make some sense." Ino lets out a huff before sending me a small smile. I close my eyes and let out a sigh.

"You're right though; it's time to wake up." I take out a kunai and plunge it down into my leg.

* * *

><p>~Outside Riku's Mind: Forest~<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

Releasing ragged pants, Riku places a hand on her neck. "Stop... not again..." Riku mutters before allowing gravity to overtake her body. Shikamaru quickly jumps from his position behind the bushes to stop Riku's fall.

Wrapping his arms around her, he gazes down at her in relief. "…You're back." He mutters before tightening his embrace.

"Sh-shika?" She mutters back dazed. "W-what happened to me?"

He doesn't respond for a moment before sighing out. "Something troublesome."

Their conversation gets cut short when Riku notices Dosu staggering over to a spot between Sasuke and her.

"You…" Riku make a move to stand, only to have Shika place a hand on her shoulder. He shakes his head, telling her to let things play out.

"Sasuke-kun. Riku, we cannot defeat you two. Let's make a deal." He places the Earth Scroll onto the ground before walking over to his fallen comrades.

He slings Zaku's arm over his shoulder before continuing. "We might be asking for too much, but we have something to confirm, so let us go. In exchange, if we are to fight each other in this exam a second time… we will not run or hide." He grabs Kin's body and makes a move to leave.

Sakura looks at Sasuke's mark before calling out to Dosu.

"Wait! Who is Orochimaru? What is that mark on Sasuke-kun and Riku? Why them?"

"Sakura…" Riku covers the side of her neck, catching Shikamaru's attention.

Dosu looks back impassively. "I do not know. We were just ordered to kill Sasuke-kun and Riku if she was still alive."

He turns around and walks away into the forest.

**{~}**

**(First person perspective)**

"It's troublesome, but Ino take care of that Lee guy. Chouji you go wake up Naruto; I'll take care of Riku." Shika orders.

"First you send me to the hellhole known as Riku's mind then order me around again? Geez Shikamaru." Ino huffs before following his instructions. Ino glances over towards me with a pity-filled smile before heading over to Lee.

'Why that look… what did she see…' My thoughts are interrupted when I feel a hand patting my head. I send a curious look to Shika who responds with a sigh.

"When did you get so troublesome?"

"You know, since always." I glance down. "But gomen ne." He says nothing before bringing my head into his chest.

"Geez. Don't cause me anymore trouble alright? It's hard enough to keep Ino out of it." He breaks off. I glance up at his face and see him looking away, as if he were hiding something.

'You saw... you finally saw me lose control...' I allow my bangs to cover my face. 'You won't look at me the same anymore will you?' I clench my fists. 'Stop acting like nothing happened… hate me… throw me away… do something… don't just sit there and act like everything is fine…'

My body begins to tremble, catching Shika's attention.

"Riku?"

His voice held hesitation. Is he afraid?

"Just stop it." I mutter harshly. "Stop pretending everything's the same. You hated that monster. What you saw… that was and is me. So just reject me already. You're thinking it, aren't you?" I grip my head as I feel a wave of sorrow course through me. Was it mine? Or someone else's?

He doesn't respond. Was he admitting it? Of course he was.

"Baka." He hits the top of my head with his knuckles.

"Eh?" I glance up through my bangs to see his disinterested face.

"That thing – you were still there, but you were trapped. You were in pain." He explains. "You didn't turn on us. You still recognized us somehow." He furrows his brows. "But I am afraid of you to be honest."

There it was… I look away. I knew this was coming.

"But, you came back. So no."

I stare at him in disbelief before looking off to the side. "That doesn't make any sense. You lost your brain, didn't you?"

"I must have if…" He trails off as he mutters incoherently. I heard a 'troublesome' somewhere in his mumbles. "Anyway, just know you're you and you're back. End of story."

"Shika…" I trail off uncertainly before shaking my head.

He rolls his eyes before they land on the side of my neck. He parts my hair to the side to stare at the marks. "Why do you have a seal?"

I stiffen. What was I supposed to say? Oh this, well a snake pedophile made it appear on my neck. Yeah, like that will go well.

"What?" He stares at me alarmed.

'Crap.' I glance back at Shika.

"Ahh… I said that out loud didn't I?" He sends me an 'obviously' look.

When I don't elaborate, a tick mark appears on his head, but Naruto's voice prevents him from commenting,

"AHHAHAHHH…aha…ah?"

Everyone focuses their attention towards Naruto as they notice him crawling on the ground.

"Everyone, hide! No get down! Where is he… damn it…" Naruto mutters frantically.

"About time he woke up…" I let out a dry laugh, mentally cringing at how off it sounds, knowing Shika would notice as well. Sighing, he nods in agreement before releasing me to walk over to Naruto. I send him a curious glance but he waves me off, telling me to sit tight for the moment. Furrowing my brows in confusion, I watch Chouji take out a stick and poke Naruto in the head.

*poke**poke**poke*

"You know you're really stupid. Actually, watching you pisses me off." Shika states as he crosses his arms.

I stare at Shika in confusion. 'He's never been that irritated by Naruto before. What's going on Shika?'

Ignoring the comment, Naruto glances around him before stopping his gaze on Sakura and stumbling toward her to ask her what happened to her hair.

She sends him a weary smile. "Oh this… it's just an image change. I like my long hair, but you know, it gets in the way when I move around in the forest like this." She states absently as she strokes her hair.

Naruto seems to buy her explanation and asks why everyone is in the area. Sakura tells him that they were here to help us. As Sakura explains, Naruto spots Lee and starts teasing him. In response, Sakura sends a punch to his face, knocking him back several feet.

*sigh*

I smile sadly at the sight. 'Naruto… you never do learn… but that's how you are… my precious idiotic friend..'

As I watch the scene before me, I think back to the comment my other self made.

_**You were never meant to reside in the same realm as your friends. Do not forget that.**_

'I know that... I've always known that... but is it selfish for me to want that?'

I grit my teeth in annoyance as I struggle to stand, only to crash back to the ground. 'Exhaustion phase... of course...' I thought bitterly as I watch the others enjoying the light atmosphere from Naruto's antics. Some send me wary glances before hastily turning. Narrowing my eyes, I fist the dirt, knowing this treatment is to be expected.

I let out a dark chuckle. 'To fall deeper into the darkness... just how things will go.' I muse as I loosen my grip. 'Nothing new...'

_**'You can't depend on anyone else…after all they only abandon you**_…'

'That voice again.' I realize before scoffing. '…Just be quiet… I don't want to hear it…'

'_**You're lying to yourself again… it's only hurting you. I should know…after all, I share your emotions as well. You feel betrayed don't you? After all you do, they still don't regard you as a friend… You're scared they think of you as just a shield... no a monster and nothing more.'**_

My corner of my lips twitch in amusement. 'Naru doesn't... neither does Shika, but the others... it doesn't matter. How they see me... doesn't matter.'

There is a momentary silence before the voice continues.

'_**If that is really true…then why are you holding back tears? I can feel your heart breaking…every time you say that foolish lie you're destroying yourself…'**_

My amused grin widens. 'I don't have that right anymore… after all… as you've said before, I was never meant to exist with them…'

A sad sigh echoes in my head.

'_**Very well… just know I will always be here. You have something no one else has…don't waste it. I'll talk to you again soon…my other self.'**_

'Wait. A name…at least give me your name.'

_**'Minori… that was the name I was given**_…' She responds sadly.

Before I can respond, the voice quickly disappears, leaving no clues to her presence.

'Minori… a fitting name I suppose…after all it does mean truth…' I muse before glancing to the others to see them crowding around Lee and Tenten.

I smile sadly. 'Don't let them know how bothered you really are. Same drill as always.' Pushing myself off the ground, I wince slightly at the reluctance of my body before making my way to the group. I only take ten steps forward before a hand rests on my shoulder.

"What did I say about you not giving me anymore trouble…?" Shika mutters out as he scratches the back of his head. Before I can respond, he places my arm around his shoulder, while his other hand held my waist. "Don't pretend to be fine when you're not…troublesome woman."

I chuckle at his antics. Though he came off as a lazy and cold person, Shika did have a sweet caring side to him that many haven't noticed. He was a one of a kind guy to say the least.

"Arigato Shika." I lean further against him. "You always see through me."

"Tch, don't put me in the same group as Naruto." He mutters bitterly, pulling me waist closer so that I lean flush against him.

I roll my eyes. "I know, I know. You're in a different category…after all, you are Shika." I finish with a smirk.

He lets out a sigh before a tired smile appears on his face. "You're never straight forward are you?" He murmurs as he gently brushes my bangs to the side.

My smile widens as I focus on his gentle touch, finding myself getting more and more lost in it. "Where would the fun be if I did that? Besides, you're the genius. Figure it out." I state with a wink.

He shakes his head before tapping my forehead with his knuckles. "Tch. Troublesome woman."

"Tch right back… at you … lazy genius." I mutter out as I feel my eyelids slowly dropping down. "Ne… Shika… tell Ino… Arigato for me…" With that, I lose consciousness.

'As long as there is one person who cares about me… I won't fade into the darkness… right? A girl can only hope… for a knight in dented, scratched armor…'

* * *

><p>~Time skip and Scene change~<p>

-Near a stream-

It's been a day since we split up from the other Konoha ninjas. After that incident, I could tell the others had many questions for me, but they reluctantly left me alone after Ino's loud protests. That girl… I shake my head at the thought as a small smile creeps onto my face. Despite the short time we knew each other, I know I could trust her. After all, she saved me, in her own way. I place a hand on my cheek, remembering the slap she gave me in my mindscape. Her words replay in my head, causing my smile to drop into a frown.

_If I thought this was an entire waste of time, do you think I would be here right now, do you think Sakura would be crying her eyes out over you, do you think Shikamaru would be fretting over you? Shikamaru, the laziest person in the world, fretting over someone? Come on! He finds that too troublesome, but he was and still is! _

'I never knew…' I hold out my left forearm in front of my face, allowing the loose bandages to slip and reveal the faded burn marks licking my skin. 'No one should have seen that… seen me like that…' I clench my eyes shut as I drape my arm over my eyes. 'Even if they pretend things are still the same, they're not. They never will be…'

I continue to listen to the sound of the flowing water and occasional chirping of birds. Despite the foreboding name of the forest, the area teems with life. I slowly grasp the ring in my free hand, feeling the ridges and inscriptions.

"Who are you…? Why and what did you seal…?" I mutter out as I continue to run my fingers across the ring's surface. I snap out of my thoughts as I hear the ringing laughter of Naruto and Sakura back at the camp.

"As long as they're happy…if I'm unable to exist in the same realm as them, it's only a matter of time before I destroy myself." I mutter to myself before slightly flinching at the pain in my chest. I grit my teeth in annoyance before shakily grasping the medicine in my pouch. Should I use it now? Or wait until it was absolutely necessary? The cool surface of the glass rests against my hand before I finally decide to release my grip. 'Not now... Just hold on...I can't let them know about this... I can't be a liability.' I grit my teeth at the thought before releasing a soft sigh when the pain subsides.

"Riku!"

"Oi Riku wake up!"

"Dobe. You're too loud."

I slowly remove my arm from my eyes and allow them to adjust to the light.

"Finished eating?" I ask tiredly, still feeling the effects of decaying process lingering on my body. The others don't show any signs of suspicion, probably thinking I'm still recovering from the fight.

Naruto nods before giving me a detailed briefing on what I missed. I merely nod and flash small smiles in response even though I had no idea what he's talking about, but it didn't seem he noticed. However, he suddenly stops and gently traces the designs of the seal on my neck.

"Oi Riku… when did you get this?" He asks curiously.

My body slightly stiffens before I slap his hand away, catching everyone's attention. Naruto stares at me in shock before it falls to a hurt expression.

I look down. 'What could I say? Oh this? Orochimaru put it on me, but no worries, it just allows me to turn into a rampaging beast. Yeah like that will go smoothly…'

"Naru…" I trail off uncertainly, "It's a seal…" I left the rest hanging, earning a confused look from Naruto.

"But why would you have that?"

I bite my bottom lip.

"I-" I start as I send Sakura a pleading look. Sakura sends me a brief nod and breaks in, asking Naruto to help her collect some water. Hesitation flashes across Naruto's face as he looks between the two of us.

"Of course, Sakura-chan." I smile sadly at his words, but stiffen when he continues. "After I talk to Riku."

Sakura stares at Naruto with slightly widened eyes. What was going on? The Naruto I knew would have gone straight with Sakura without a doubt. Why is he staying?

"Riku?" I blink as I see a hand waving in front of my face. When Naruto removes his hand, I see a pained smile enter his face. "You know you can tell me anything. We're best friends right?"

"I…I know that." I look away for a moment before facing everyone again. I let out a shaky breath; I needed to tell him about the incident. But I can't let the others know of my other condition. We had enough worries to think about. "Naruto, I lost it again when you were unconscious." His eyes widen in alarm before he grips my shoulders.

"Eh? W-wait, how come no one told me? Huh?" He shakes me. "What even happened when I was out? Eh Sakura-chan? Sasuke?" He sends them pleading looks.

Sakura looks away whereas Sasuke stares at Naruto with a disinterested look.

"Ahh… nothing." Naruto and Sakura stare at me, looks on disbelief painting their faces. "We just encountered some Sound ninja. I was running low on chakra so I lost control."

"Then who-" Naruto trails off as his grip on my shoulders tighten.

'Who knocked some sense into me?'

I smirk. "Ahh… I suppose Ino's slap did."

"Eh?" Sakura and Naruto send me incredulous looks.

I merely smile at their confusion, "Ino used her Mind Transfer Technique to enter my mind; she knocked some sense into…well more like slapped some sense into me. As for what happened when I was out of control…" I trail off, sending Sakura a look.

She slightly fidgets under my gaze. "About that…" Sakura trails off uncertainly. "Riku took care of the Sound ninja… with Sasuke…" Sakura explains uncertainly as she rubs the side of her arm. A frown enters Naruto's face; he must have realized there was more to it than that.

"But that seal…" Sakura continues, "After Riku joined us, she had it on her neck. We didn't see it at first since it was covered in blood."

"Eh? Do you guys know what it's for then?" Naruto murmurs as he releases his hold on me and takes on a thinking pose.

"Dobe. What are seals used for?"

Naruto just stares blankly at Sasuke, causing Sakura to release a sigh.

"They're used to contain something." I answer simply, catching their attention, "According to Orochimaru, this seal holds my memories. Explains why I lost them." I explain as I point to the seal, "but I don't know what else it seals."

"So once the seal breaks, you'll have your memories again?" Naruto concludes with a smile on his face, completely missing the other point.

"That and whatever monster I am." I mumble, causing Naruto's smile to immediately fall.

"But you're Riku." Naruto tilts his head to the side. "Whatever you have in you, it doesn't change that you're my best friend. Besides, I promised you I'll bring you back if something happens. Believe it!"

"That didn't happen this time around." Sasuke adds, earning a glare from Naruto.

"Teme! At least I care about her! You're just standing there like this is no big deal. What did you even do when you saw her like that huh? You just stood there, didn't you?!"

"Naruto!" Sakura scolds.

"You're just like the others." Naruto growls out. "It was always just Riku and I. Everyone else shunned us, feared us. It wasn't her fault. It isn't her fault she can't control it. She, she only does it to protect us."

Sakura's eyes widen before she hesitantly glances over at Sasuke to see his reaction. A glare plasters itself on his face.

"You think I don't know that? I met her before you even knew her." Sasuke growls out before grabbing my wrist and pulling me away.

"Eh Sasuke-kun!" Sakura calls out to us, but he ignores her.

"Oi teme! Let her go!" Naruto grabs my other wrist and pulls, jerking me towards him. Sasuke matches Naruto's glare.

'How did this even happen?' I thought with a sweat drop. 'I'm not some toy they can pull back and forth…'

"Oi." The two ignore me. "Naruto. Sasuke." They still ignore me.

*tickmark*

'Fine… if that's how you two want it.' I yank both my arms, sending the two boys stumbling forward, ramming their foreheads together. 'Thank kami we have forehead protectors…'

"What was that for?" Naruto asks as he rubs his forehead.

"If I let you two go at each other, we might be here all day." I answer with a shrug. "But honestly, I know you all care about me, so just drop it. Whatever happens now, just let it come and we can deal with it then." I wave off easily. "Besides, you all weren't supposed to see me like that." A smirk appears on my face. "But I will gladly become that monster if it means you all are safe."

"I won't let you."

I snap my gaze to Naruto.

"Naru-" I start, but get cut off with the sleeve of his jacket when he embraces me.

"I won't let you. Every time, I can hear it… I don't know how but I could hear you in pain. You're calling for someone when you're like that. So, I'll protect you so you won't have to go through that. You've been there for me since the beginning, so I'm going to protect you too. Believe it."

My eyes soften before I start trembling, causing Naruto to fuss over me. It wasn't long before I start laughing, earning confused glances my way.

"She's totally lost it…" Sakura mumbles as she face palms.

"Riku?"

I place a hand to cover my face as I take several steps back. My laughter soon subsides as I flick my gaze to the rest of my teammates.

"Gomen ne. It's just… I never expected this reaction from you all. You're supposed to hate me, fear me. Not… this." I motion with my hands. "But arigato for everything."

Sakura looks at me warily before a small smile enters her face. Her fear was still apparent, but it seems it had lessen somewhat. As for Naruto, he couldn't be any happier whereas Sasuke looks on with a smirk.

"Yatta! Let's go get that water now Sakura-chan." Naruto proclaims before grasping Sakura's wrist and speeding away. I hear the sound of slapping skin and a scream in the distance, probably Sakura smacking Naruto for touching her.

'Those two...' I glance over at Sasuke and see him stuffing his hands in his pockets as he watches the sky.

"So you heard about everything right?" I finally ask, finding the leaves suddenly interesting.

He nods in reply, allowing the silence to take over again.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He asks, causing me to tilt my head in confusion. "After everything…" He clarifies.

"Would you really have listened to me?" I retort before shaking my head. "I didn't want to give you any more reason to kill your aniki." A glare makes its way on his face. I stare back at him calmly. "But, he did this to me. He made me forget you, everyone except Naruto. What I want to know is why and what else he sealed away." I place a hand on the seal.

"Does it really matter?" He clenches his hands as he tightens his jaw. "He put a collar on you. I'm not strong enough yet, but I will be. I won't let him touch you ever again. He will pay for everything he's done to me and to you."

I gaze at his tense form before closing the distance between us and wrapping my arms around his shoulders, noticing his body immediately tensing at the contact. Several seconds tick by before his form slowly relaxes but he does not return the gesture.

"Sasuke…" I slightly tighten the embrace. "Don't hate him for my sake. I care about you, more than you know. I don't want to see you lose yourself with your hate. Take it from someone who's been consumed in it to a point of insanity. Once you fall into it, it's difficult to escape it without a light to show you the way, no matter how cliché that sounds." I release a small laugh. "Your aniki. He saved me too." Sasuke tenses once again. "I don't remember everything. Forgive me. I only remember the old him… before he changed." I pause, taking in his reaction. He doesn't respond. "But just know this… no matter what, I will be there for you. I will make sure you're still you through everything, so just …let me."

He still doesn't respond.

"Your fangirls would kill me on sight if they saw this." I intone with a small chuckle, earning myself a scoff before he lightly returns the embrace. But it quickly goes as it comes.

"I won't let anyone take you away from me again." He finally responds with a dangerous edge to his voice before stepping out of my embrace. I match my gaze with his, wondering where that voice came from; that voice… it was nothing like Sasuke. Shaking my head of those thoughts for now, I send him a smile.

"Gomen ne… that was uncalled for… but I suppose I miss that feeling."

"Hn." He comments.

'Now that's Sasuke…'

I can't help but let out a small chuckle, causing him to quirk a brow.

"It's nothing." I state with a small smile. "You're still the same person as I remembered."

I glance back at him and it seemed as if he was even more confused.

"I'm starting to slowly remember our childhood." I slightly glance over to him as a small smirk formed on my face. "Especially that one incident where you told your parents that you wanted to be engaged to me, seeing as how you kept telling me you-"

Before I can continue, Sasuke quickly covers my mouth with his hand as an irritated expression enters his face.

"We were just kids." He growls out.

I smirk in response before removing his hand from my mouth.

"Meaning you do remember." I state as his scowl increases. "Don't worry. It's in the past, but I was happy when you told me that."

"Hn."

I smile in response as I continue to watch what looked like him sulking.

"Sasuke…"

He looks back in annoyance but his face slowly changes back to concern when he noticed the tone of my voice.

"When you saw me back there with the Sound ninjas… what was I?" I mutter out.

He looks away for a moment before responding.

"I don't know. But I've never seen you like that before…" He pauses before continuing, "What did you mean when you said every second of your life was painful?"

I look at him surprised. "What are you talking about? I never said that."

"You did. When you were attacking that Sound girl, you said that to us." He shifts his gaze back to mine. "Why?"

I try to escape his gaze, but he firmly holds my chin in place. "Explain."

'He must be really upset if he's acting like this…'

"What was I supposed to say?" I growl out. "I'm not one of those damsels in distress. I don't want others to be hurt because of me. I don't want to lose anyone else important to me…but I know I can't always do everything on my own… but I'd rather get hurt than have someone else take it for me… that's why I…"

"Baka." He mutters out before ruffling my hair. "I won't let that happen. I won't let you go this time."

I gaze up at him and see him giving me a very small smile, his old smile.

"Don't let that dobe's stupidity rub off on you." He mutters out before walking away with his hands in his pockets.

I continue to watch him leave before shifting my gaze to the water flowing down the stream.

"I could say the same to you… I won't let you lose yourself." I mutter out before a round of coughs rack my body. I cover my mouth with my hand, stifling the noise before it slowly subsides. I glance down at my hand, seeing the specks of blood peppering my hand. I clench my jaw at the sight before allowing my hand to fall uselessly to my side.

'How much time did I even have left?' I thought sadly as I allow my bangs to cover my face. 'I have to keep trying. I have to keep going no matter what... for their sake... for Sasuke... Sakura... and Naruto. Forgive me...'

**{~}**

~Time skip: next day~

Recovery wise, we're set. In terms of gaining another scroll in 24 ours, not so much. After filling me in on our destroyed Heaven Scroll courtesy of Orochimaru, Sakura points out how the number of passing teams in this stage has been reduced by one. Seeing as 4 days have already passed, it's possible there aren't any Heaven Scrolls remaining in the exam, but I try not to put much thought into that. It's obvious this possibility troubled all of us, but more so Naruto and Sakura seeing as they tried to look into the Earth scroll to create a fake Heaven scroll. They would have succeeded if not for Kabuto stopping them when he did. Desperation is a killer in this stage. Seeing as this is psycho-sensei's exam, she would put traps to fail those unable to handle the pressure. Just the kind of sadist she is.

After hearing our predicament, Kabuto offers his assistance in our search for a Heaven scroll as long as he could accompany us to the tower. Finding no crippling disadvantages to the offer, we accept, and along the way, Kabuto explains how we need to be wary of traps and collectors near the tower, seeing as we're not the only ones looking for a scroll. We continue to travel in comfortable silence before Naruto tosses a kunai at a giant centipede, embedding it against a tree.

"Looks like your reflexes are as good as always." I murmur, earning a sheepish grin from Naruto.

"We should keep moving and Naruto... please try not to do that again. We wouldn't want any other groups to hear us, alright?" Kabuto warns with a smile.

"Hehe... got it." Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

With that, we continue to the tower, but I can't shake off the sense of uneasiness settling in my gut.

"Something the matter?"

I blink in confusion before turning to see a concerned Kabuto.

"It's probably nothing...it's just..." I murmur as I glance up at the moon. "The moon's off..." I trail off.

He tilts his head to the side. "Excuse me?"

I shake my head. "It's hard to explain. Again, probably just nerves."

He frowns. "If you're sure... but I'll keep a look out. Gut feelings shouldn't be ignored after all." He muses before gazing at me once again. "Say Riku, what's your reason for taking this exam?"

"Reason?" I parrot in confusion.

"Yeah... typically teams of 3 take the chunin exams so why take the exam when you didn't have to? Is it to test your strength or for the rank?" He asks before smiling at me sheepishly. "Wait... you don't have to answer that. I mean, I don't want to seem like I'm prying too much into your business or anything." He corrects with a nervous laugh.

I gaze at him in confusion before shrugging. "Ah, I just felt like it." I answer before glancing up at the sky with a frown. "But... I guess you can say I'm here to protect my friends."

He looks at me in disbelief. "To protect your friends?" He repeats in disbelief. "Never heard that answer in all my years of taking this exam." He shakes his head before sending me a smile. "You're really interesting you know that?"

I shrug. "Ah, if you say so."

"I mean it." He adds earnestly, catching me off guard at the sincerity of his voice. "You're not like any of the other girls I've met, let alone genin. To put that much importance on your friends, they must be really lucky to have you."

I scoff. "It's the other way around. Not sure where I would be without them,." I murmur as my gaze softens on the blond-haired goofball chatting with Sakura up ahead. 'Especially you, Naru.'

Kabuto hums in acceptance. "I see..."

It isn't long before we realize we've fallen into a genjustsu trap, seeing as we passed by the giant centipede Naruto killed twice.

"Looks like your feeling was right." Kabuto murmurs into my ear before facing the others. "It seems that we were tricked into walking around in circles."

"We're being watched." Sasuke adds, glancing around for any signs of our enemies. "They most likely want us to waste our strength and were planning a surprise attack once we couldn't move anymore."

"Ah... we've been played." I muse as I notice the small shifts in water particles near the trees. 'They hid themselves well... the wind prevents me from pinpointing their exact location.'

"They're probably going to attack soon." Kabuto adjusts his glasses.

I shrug. "Ahh… suppose so… seeing as we already know they're here." I mutter out, placing a hand on my kunai pouch.

Right on cue, colorless blobs crawl out from the ground and nearby trees before morphing into black-clad rain ninja and slowly staggering forward.

Sasuke smirks at the sight. "They're here."

"This is a good handicap." Naruto grins as he eyes the moving blobs in excitement.

More clones continue to appear from the ground and trees.

Sakura looks around in confusion. "What's going on?" She murmurs as she notices the clones closing in.

"There are a lot of them even though they're just replications." Kabuto observes.

"Like a mouse in a trap." A clone chuckles out.

"Shut up!" Naruto yells as he sends a punch at one clone.

"Good job Naruto!" Sakura praises.

Shifting my attention to Naruto, I see the clone breaking a section of itself from his punch, sending Naruto sprawling on the ground before another head and arm forms on the clone.

Naruto gazes at the clone in shock. "What's going on?"

"Naruto!" Sasuke yells out as he sends a shuriken at the clone's arm. The arm disintegrates along with the two headed kunai.

The clone glances in Sasuke's direction before sending a kunai at him. However, before he can dodge, his body freezes up.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yells out.

Before the kunai connects, I tackle him on the ground, allowing it to cut the bandages on my left arm.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cries before making her way over to us. I slowly get off Sasuke and help him up before noticing his mark glowing an eerie orange-red color.

'That mark…why is it acting up now?'

I grit my teeth in annoyance as I glance back at Kabuto to see him holding the two-headed kunai in his hand.

"Since Riku was cut, does that mean that they're shadow replication with real flesh?" Naruto asks before taking out a kunai.

The clones stagger closer to us, cornering us from every direction. I get up and take out a senbon from my pouch.

"But… shadow clones should disappear if they are hit cleanly." Naruto reasons. "Since they don't disappear, are they really illusions? Which is it?"

"Calm down. If you get worked up, we'll never figure it out." I state as I watch the clones slowly approaching us. "Remember when Sasuke hit the arm with the kunai? It disappeared along with the arm, but in my case it didn't… now the question is … how is this game being played?"

"Damn it…" Naruto mutters out. He makes a move to attack the clones, but Sasuke stops him.

"Stop it; it's useless! They are just illusions. We're trapped in a genjutsu right now." He pants out.

Sakura looks between Sasuke and me before saying, "But Riku's wound is real."

I shake my head in response. "Not exactly. Sure I got cut by it, but the events don't add up. Why would the kunai suddenly disintegrate when Sasuke hit it with his shuriken, but solidify when it attacks me? The enemy is playing with us." I growl out.

"You're right." Kabuto agrees as he glances around to watch the clones. "They enemy is most likely hidden and they're attacking us somewhere else while matching the illusion ninja's movements. It makes it seem like the clones are attacking."

"Then I'll find the idiots hiding in the forest throwing kunai at us and beat them up!" Naruto exclaims angrily.

"It wouldn't be that simple." I mutter out. I try to pinpoint their exact location, but there was too much movement in the water particles to tell exactly where they were. The clones walking around aren't helping either.

"Exactly. In this situation, the source of the real kunai is hidden, so we can't figure out the enemy's exact location. That's their tactic. According to my data, those who are weak in hand-to-hand combat and close combat prefer to attack like this. The real enemy won't come out until we can't move." Kabuto states as he glances around.

"Meaning they're just cowards and are afraid to attack us when we can fight back." I mutter in annoyance.

The clones continue to corner us against the nearby trees as they take out several kunai.

'Huh. Guess I made them angry.'

"Listen up, everyone. We can only dodge the enemy's attack right now." Kabuto warns.

"Alright. If you plan on doing that..." Naruto trails off.

"...then this is going to be a long night…" I finish. 'Bikoume.'

The clones continue to send kunai at us from different directions, but seeing as we can't retaliate, we only waste energy by dodging.

Sakura releases an annoyed huff. "There's no end to this!"

"I'll just-" Naruto forms the hand sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"Wait Naruto-kun." Kabuto warns. "Don't waste your chakra. There's no point in attacking them."

"If we get rid of all the illusions at once, the enemy can't attack during the time they return back to normal since they would reveal their location." He smirks. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

As the smoke appears, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kabuto quickly escape from the area as Naruto's clones perform a henge to act as them, but I remain where I am. I'm going to let Naruto fight this battle on his own. As the Naruto mob continues to attack the clones, I send several lightning induced senbon at the clones, leaving several small craters in their bodies. Not long after, _Sasuke, Sakura, _and _Kabuto_ join in the fight and try to destroy the other clones; however, no matter what we did, the clones would just continue to regenerate.

'Yup. This is definitely going to be a long night… ' I blow some of the stray bangs in my face with an annoyed huff.

-Several hours later: sunrise-

All of us collapse onto the ground from fatigue. Deep breaths escape our lips as the clones fade away to reveal three rain ninjas. One of them is the one we met earlier in the exam.

"You." His gaze shifts over to _Sasuke._ "You're the one who injured my left shoulder right? I finally found you. You wasted our time. How lucky. I can finally get my revenge."

As he points a kunai in our direction, a smirk adorns all of our faces.

'Checkmate.'

"Like a mouse in a trap." Sasuke mutters with a smirk.

"You two did well. Naruto. Riku." Sakura compliments with a smile.

The rain ninja slowly turn around to see Sasuke, Sakura, and Kabuto standing behind them.

"What did they…? This can't be! When did they…?" The rain ninja mutter out frantically.

"Baka." I state with a smirk.

"You idiots finally reveal yourselves, damn it." Naruto states as his clones release the henge.

"Nani? That kid…"

"I used the shadow clones to just set up this trick, so I could pretend to be almost everyone from this team." He stands up and releases the jutsu.

"So a genjutsu master was fooled." Sasuke states with a smirk.

Naruto and I take a step towards them, but our legs give out from under us.

"Riku. Naruto. You two used up too much chakra. I'll do the rest." Sasuke states, causing all the rain ninjas to divert their attention to Sasuke.

I glance at Naruto and he nods in response. Before Sasuke can attack, Naruto sends a punch towards a rain ninja's face as I kick the other two in the path of the first ninja, allowing all of them to dog pile each other.

"I'm not going to…let you take all the good parts like that." Naruto explains between pants.

"Don't leave us out on the fun you guys." I state with a wink. Regardless of my body's desire to simply crash, there no way I'm going to miss teaching these cowards a lesson.

"What are they- to be able to move after all that?" A rain ninja rasps.

"Naruto…" Sakura breathes out.

The three rain ninja slowly get up and distance themselves from us.

"Pretty good, but we're not in an unlucky situation yet." They all form a hand sign. "Time is running out. We'll show you our ninja techniques now."

"Ninpou, Oboro Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Hazy Replications)

"Shadow replications?" Naruto breathes out. I look around and see Sakura, Kabuto, and Sasuke still standing behind the bushes. I glance over to Naruto to see his breathing coming out in deep pants.

'This doesn't look good right now…'

'_**Concentrate on the task at hand. Don't let your control slip or you'll enter the berserker state. Without that crystal there's no telling whether you'll be aware of your actions or not.'**_

'Easier said than done but we have no options at this point.' I thought as I glance around.

"No they're just normal replications. But they must have some sort of tactic planned out. Be careful!" Sasuke warns.

"If they're just replications, then there's only one real one. I'll beat up everyone until I hit the real one." Naruto states confidently.

"Baka. That's a waste of energy." Sasuke scolds.

"I told you not to interfere." Naruto cries before charging headfirst into the fray.

"Naruto! It's impossible!" Sakura yells out.

"Geez." Kabuto mutters before following after him.

"Damn it a replication! Him too! Him too!" Naruto yells as he continues to bulldoze his way through the clones.

"Naruto-kun, stop!" Kabuto warns as he continues to follow him.

"Are all of them fakes? Is this a genjutsu as well?" Sakura mutters out.

I glance around and see Naruto going through countless clones.

"It would make sense. It doesn't seem logical for them to hide in the crowd. If they were, they would have attacked him by now." I huff before taking a stance.

"AAAGHH!"

I snap my gaze back to Sasuke to see him clutching his neck in pain.

"Sasuke-kun, don't use your Sharingan anymore!" Sakura warns.

Naruto looks back at Sasuke in worry just as a clone stands right in front of him with a kunai poised for his head.

"You don't have time to look away!"

"Naruto, move!" I yell.

I don't make a move to help him, seeing as how Kabuto was going to push him out of the way.

"Kabuto-san." Naruto states frantically as he looks at Kabuto holding his knee.

"Damn it." Naruto makes a move to attack the figure, but Sasuke stops him, telling him that they were nothing but clones.

"Then where are they attacking from? If they are normal clones, the clones wouldn't be able to attack us!" Naruto yells back angrily.

"If I knew that, then we wouldn't be in this situation!" He yells back as he clutches his neck.

"It looks like they've reached their limit." The rain ninja states happily.

I grit my teeth in annoyance as I see Naruto's legs giving in on him. Just then, I see a scene flash before my eyes. They were going to attack us from underground. A clone jumps up and pretends to attack Naruto as the real ninjas climb up from the ground.

"Behind you!" I yell out as I make my way to them. Before the kunai can connect with Kabuto, I intercept it with my ice claws. However, another rain ninja manages to attack Kabuto's face, knocking him away several feet.

"Kabuto-san!" Naruto yells out.

The two ninjas disappear back into the ground as I allow the ice to slowly encase one of the rain ninja's bodies. He makes a move to escape, but the ice locks him into place, only leaving his neck and head visible.

"Game over." I mutter before I embed several senbon into his neck, placing him in a temporary state of death. I glance back and see that Naruto had taken care of the other rain ninjas.

"That was great, Naruto! Riku!" Sakura waves at us happily. I can't help but smile in response.

I unfreeze the rain ninja and begin searching for the scroll; however, it seems Naruto already found it.

"I found it! Look it's a Heaven Scroll!" Naruto announces with a smile.

"Looks like we're moving on now." I state with a smile.

"Congrats." Kabuto responds before his gaze lands on my arm. "Your arm… it's covered in burn marks. How did that happen?"

I glance down at my arm to see the unraveled bandages, showing faded burns coating my skin. "I had a run in with some fire. I couldn't get away fast enough." I answer with a shrug before attempting to retie the bandages, only to have a hand stop me. I glance up and see Kabuto smiling down at me.

"Allow me." He unravels my entire arm, showing everyone the burn marks. Sasuke quietly looks on as Kabuto traces the marks down my arms with his fingers. "You did a number on yourself. You should be more careful… fire isn't something you should play with." He comments with a teasing smile before wrapping my arm with a new set of bandages. With that, we all head to the tower. When we reach our destination, Kabuto meets up with his teammates.

Before he leaves, he walks towards me with a serious expression. "You should take care of yourself better. You've gotten paler since we first met."

I blink at him for several moments before nodding. "Ahh... I appreciate the concern." At my response, he sends me a sad smile.

"Even though we just met, I can't help but worry for you." He adds sheepishly as he rubs the back of his head. "No one would want to see you die suddenly." His voice lowers, causing me to stare at him with a blank expression. 'What is he playing at?' I try to look at his eyes, but the glare from the sun blocks my view. With that, we waves to the others before rejoining his team and walking through a different entrance.

Sakura sends me a smug look which I respond with a shrug of the shoulders. Kabuto's last statement didn't sit well with me; it felt like there was more behind his words than what was merely stated.

"So you and Kabuto huh?" Sakura hums with a wide smile while she helps Sasuke walk towards the entrance.

I meet her amused gaze with my confused one. "What are you talking about?" She puffs her cheeks out at my response as we continue to the tower's entrance.

"Geez, for someone with your intellect, you're dense." She huffs.

"I don't sink in water unlike someone I know." I rebuke, causing her to send a half-hearted glare in my direction.

"That's not the point! How could you not notice what just happened between you and Kabuto?"

"What are you talking about Sakura-chan?" Naruto asks.

We both ignore him. "You noticed it too?"

That causes a smile to enter her face. "So you did notice."

"Yeah..." I glance away. "There's something... unsettling with him."

"You got that vibe too?" Naruto asks, earning a nod from me in response.

"Eh?" Sakura glances at the two of us before releasing a sigh. "So you didn't notice it..." She mumbles sadly, but I ignore it, opting rather to enter through the tower doors.

Once we walk through the doors, we see a peculiar message on the wall.

"No one's here." Sakura states as she looks around.

"I'm not surprised, seeing as this is the final day." I state as I begin reading the message before taking some soldier pills to replenish my chakra.

"Sakura, I'm fine now." Sasuke states as he pulls away from her.

"Oi oi what are we supposed to do?" Naruto states confused.

"Look over there." Sakura points towards the message.

"Seems like we need to open both the scrolls now." I state as I rub the back of my head. "Hopefully nothing dangerous pops out of that thing…"

I face everyone and see them sweat dropping.

"Nani? It could happen right? It is Anko-sensei's test after all…" I mutter out. "Just hope it doesn't kill any one of us."

Sakura sends me a deadpan look. "You know you're not helping us feel better."

"Really?" I ask. "I thought I was doing a great job at it." I answer sarcastically.

Everyone sweat drops before Naruto and Sakura slowly open the scrolls.

"What's this?" Naruto asks confused.

Smoke begins to appear from both the scrolls.

"Let go of them!" I order, only to receive confused looks.

"It's a summoning inscription! Drop the scrolls!" Sasuke adds.

'Listen to Sasuke and not me… thanks…' I thought with an eye roll.

Sakura and Naruto both nod before throwing the scrolls several feet away from us. They overlap each other and a figure soon appears from the cloud of smoke.

"You're…" Sasuke mutters.

"Hello. Long time no see." Iruka-sensei states with a smile.

"At least we know it won't kill us…" I mutter out, causing Sakura to lightly elbow me in the ribs.

"What's going on? Sakura asks confused.

"Looks like you four went through a lot of trouble." Iruka-sensei states as he examines us.

"Eh? Why... why did you appear through a summoning technique Iruka-sensei?" Naruto questions.

"We Chunins are to welcome the examinees at the end of the second exam. I was given the duty to pass the four of you a message by chance." Iruka-sensei states calmly.

"A message?" Sakura mutters out.

Iruka-sensei reaches into his pocket to flip open a watch. "Look like you made it just in time too." He closes the watch and sends a smile in our direction. "Everyone. Congratulations on passing the second exam. I'd like to treat you to ramen at Ichiraku, but…"

Before Iruka-sensei could finish, Naruto tackles him in a hug.

"Yes!" Naruto yells happily.

'That boy and his ramen…'

"Oi Naruto! Let me finish…"

Naruto quickly lets go and begins to dance around in excitement, while the rest of us fall back on the ground.

"What an energetic guy…" Sasuke mutters.

"You get used to it. He's always like this." I answer with a smile.

"Geez, you're still restless like before." Iruka-sensei states as he rubs the back of his head. "Oh and Riku… you look …different."

I glance over at him and see him looking away from me. 'Guess he's still not used to this… don't blame him though…'

Sasuke then decides to ask Iruka-sensei what would have happened if we were to open the scrolls. He explains that they were ordered to knock out the examinees that looked in the scroll until the end of the second exam. Sakura and Naruto suddenly tense up as Sasuke asks them if they were happy that they didn't look. I usually don't see Sasuke joking around openly so it was interesting to watch. Not long after, Sakura asks Iruka-sensei the meaning of the message. He explains how a ninja must have knowledge and strength to be a Chunin, seeing as how they are considered the leaders on missions. If one has both attributes, a dangerous mission could become easy. Iruka-sensei warns us to be careful in the third exam and not push ourselves. But that only causes Naruto to ask Iruka-sensei to treat him as a ninja, not a child. Naruto was indeed growing up. Now all that was left was to test how much he's grown.

'Are you ready to prove to everyone you're not the same anymore?' I thought as I looked back at Naruto.

'_**Are you ready Riku? It seems that things will only get harder from here on out.' **_Minori warns.

'If I wasn't would I still be here Minori?'

'_**True…just be careful. There will be people who will try to break you in there. Don't lose yourself. Keep your condition in mind as well.'**_

'I know.'

Her voice disappears from my mind as I watch everyone walking towards the door that led to the next exam.

'Am I ready to face what's beyond that door? Of course not, but I won't back down. I have answers I need to find after all.'

With that, I slowly follow everyone else and walk through the doors to face my next challenge.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but it does get the plot going. (I might rewrite this chapter later after I finish this story) I hope I didn't make any of the character too weird and bored you all to death. Riku's preliminary match is coming up. Who do you want her to fight? I'm debating between Kabuto, Zaku, and a few others. It's good to get your opinions though. I hope you understood what was going on in this chapter and if not, just review and ask.<strong>

**Well until next time… review/comment and**

**Ja ne.~**

_New Note: When I reread this chapter, I could only stare and think "What the hell was I thinking when I wrote this?" The scenes were scattered and overall, it felt disconnected from the rest of the story, but I think that can be due to the fact that I rewrote the first half of the story. Anyway, hopefully the editing in this chapter makes the story more cohesive and enjoyable. If there are any complaints or comments, feel free to leave a review or PM me. I like getting input back since it helps me learn as a writer. There were some additions to this chapter, so your impressions on the relationships may change when you read this chapter._

_(Updated 8/5/14)_


	13. Chapter 13: Fighting for Yourself

-Chapter 13: Fighting for Yourself-

**AN: Sorry it took me a while to finish this chapter. This will probably be the last one before I have to start school again. I still have to finish my summer homework, so don't expect another chapter until about 2-3 weeks. I'm really sorry about this, but I have to get back into studying and schoolwork. I hope you all will still want to read the next chapters though. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and special thanks to those who reviewed. (^.^)**

**Moonlttiger: Thanks for taking the time to review. I'm glad the chapter wasn't boring and sorry about the confusing parts. When I finish this story, I'll go back and make it clearer. I made her fight Kabuto and I hope you enjoy the fight.**

**Mizuki99: Frist off, thanks for reviewing the chapter. It means a lot to me. I guess I took the wrong test. If it's not too much trouble, could you send me the link to the one you were talking about? Thanks for the input about Riku's character. I want to try to make her more relateable in terms of insecurities, but I suppose I was getting too worked up about that. I hope this chapter shows a different side to Riku. She's a bit different in this chapter, but she still retains her playful and serious nature. As for your guess about the 'knight in shining armor' thing, your guess was close to what I was thinking. For me, I thought that a knight in shining armor was more of a person who was more talk and no action, hence why his armor is so shiny. :p Due to this, I changed it to make it seem Riku wants someone who actually backs up their promises and not sit back and be some sort of pretty boy. XD But I like your guess. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Tenshin-no-Tsubasa: I always love reading your reviews and it's currently 2:39 AM for me right now. I just wanted to get this chapter posted before I had to work on my homework. Anyway, it's alright you haven't reviewed in a while. I understand that many don't usually take the time to sit down and type out their ideas. But I like how people do take the time to actually read and review my story. Gaara is seen in this chapter, but not a lot. Sorry about that but more is going to show up. Naruto's going to have one of those 'I finally get it' moments here. Hopefully he follows through with it and not be an idiot and ignore it…again. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Usually reviews help me want to write the next chapter faster. Anyway, your guess about the 'knight in shining armor' thing works too. I never really thought of it that way, but it does work. It gives me some ideas for my story. Hope you like this chapter.**

***Hope that answers your questions/comments. Now on to the story. (^.^)**

*Altered chapter (see announcement 2)*

* * *

><p><strong>Other notes:<strong>

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

'_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

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***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

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><p>'<em>You have to take the good with the bad, smile when you're sad, love what you've got and remember what you had… Always forgive but never forget, learn from your mistakes but never regret. People change and things go on, but just remember life goes on.'<em>

_~Unknown_

'_**I've always taken my emotions for granted. I've killed them before and would do it again to give others a chance for their happiness. But I have wondered this… why not fight for my dreams instead of making the dreams of others come true? Is it such a scary thought or am I still afraid to change? Only time will tell.'**_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

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><p>-Examination room for second exam-<p>

**(First person perspective)**

All the remaining teams line up in rows in the center of the room while the Jounins stand shoulder by shoulder up in the far front. Ojii-san stands in the middle of a makeshift stone stage with the examiners flanking his sides. Shifting from foot to foot, I peer around Sakura to see Ibiki's expression more somber than usual.

'Indistinguishable poker face as always... but you seem calm.' I muse. 'That's always reassuring to see, especially after everything that's happened...' Matching my gaze, Ibiki sends me a barely noticeable nod before shifting his eyes back to psycho-sensei. He whispers softly to her, causing her frown to deepen. Scoffing, she turns away from him before glancing up and flashing me a sickeningly sweet smile.

'Crap... I know that look...' I internally cringe at the memories of torture... er training (as she kindly calls it; note the sarcasm there). I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see Ibiki nudging her in the side, silently telling her to stop whatever scheme she had in mind. She begrudgingly accepts, much to Ibiki's and my relief. Shaking my head at her, I send her an amused glance before shifting my attention back to the examiners.

'Still the same psycho-sensei... but what's gotten you so worked up?' I muse before staggering back a bit in surprise. 'What?' I gaze down at the weights in annoyance. 'Guess she couldn't give me a pass even with Ibiki's prompting...' I huff in annoyance before righting myself. 'Still, this isn't as bad as it could be.' I muse before feeling several stabs in my wrists.

"Spoke too soon." I murmur blandly, eyeing the weight bands to see senbons jutting into my arms.

'What kind of idiot made these damn weights? Who thought of adding senbons to these things…' I thought incredulously before seeing the senbon retract.

My right eye twitches in annoyance as I glance back up at psycho-sensei, only to see her talking with Ibiki with a smirk adorning her face. He merely sends her a deadpan look before holding the bridge of his nose.

'Same sadist… must be in a pretty bad mood to resort to this.' I observe the trails of blood blandly before hooking my thumbs into my pockets, knowing the wounds would heal fairly quickly on their own. Turning my attention back to Ojii-san, I hear him finishing up his explanation on how the exam acts as a substitute for war as it allows the countries to show off their military power without the loss of lives.

"Yes, this exam does examine those who are worthy of the Chunin title, but on the other hand, it's also a place where ninja fight and carry their country's dignity." Ojii-san takes a moment to smoke his pipe.

"Country's… dignity?" Sakura repeats as her brows furrow in confusion.

"In this third exam, feudal lords and potential clients from various countries are invited here as guests to view all your battles. If there is a significant difference in power, the stronger country will be flooded with jobs. If a country is seen as weak, the opposite occurs and their their jobs will decrease. Through this exam, countries are able to show their military development and power in comparison to adjacent ones. In other words, countries will be able to place foreign pressure on those who are deemed weak."

"So why do we have to fight with the risk of losing our lives?!" Kiba growls out.

Unperturbed, Ojii-san explains,"A country's power is a village's power. A village's power is a ninja's power and a ninja's true power is only born in a life-or-death battle. Since this is an exam where you fight with your life on the line, it has a meaning…and your predecessors have fought and dreamed of being in the Chunin exam because of it."

"Then why do you say it is to promote good relations?" Tenten asks.

He lets out a sigh, showing signs of mild frustration. "I told you in the beginning to not get confused with that. The custom of showing one's life and fighting to maintain balance…that is the good relation in the world of ninja. This is a life-or-death battle for your dream and village's dignity."

"Dream huh..." I mutter before smiling in amusement. 'You're making this sound more complicated than it actually is. We're supposed to be fighting for our dreams - prove that they are actually worth something and everything else follows. It's that simple, but what exactly is my dream?' I trail off in thought before the image of crimson eyes flash across my eyes. I lower my gaze to the ground, feeling my hand itch to pull my non-existent hat over my face. Some old habits die hard after all. '...it doesn't matter what I want. My dream... is to protect my light as I see fit. I can't forget that.' I remind myself before eyeing the other participants to see them shifting restlessly. My gaze floats through the crowd before settling on Naruto's face.

Crossing his arms, he sends Ojii-san a confident smile. "I understand now."

I can't help but smile. 'That's right... If it's for you… nothing else matters…'

"I don't care. Tell us the details of the life-or-death exam." Gaara mutters out.

Nodding, Ojii-san concedes. "Then I will now begin the explanation of the third exam, but…"

*cough* In that moment, a man appears in front of Ojii-san. "Hokage-sama. I ,Gekkou Hayate, the judge, will explain."

"Please do."

Hayate turns around to face us. "Before the third exam commences, there's something I want all of you to do. You all will fight in a preliminary match to see who gets to advance to the main matches."

*gasp*outcries*

I quirk a brow. 'Ah... well that's an interesting twist.'

"Preliminary matches?" Sakura mutters out.

"Preliminary matches? What do you mean?!" Shika asks.

"Sensei, I don't understand what you mean by preliminary matches. Why can't we start the third exam with the remaining examinees?" Sakura clarifies.

'Always the diplomatic person.' I thought as I glance at Sakura's raised hand.

"In this case, it must have been because the first exam and second exam were too easy. I don't know; however, there are too many examinees left. According to Chunin regulations, we must decrease the number of participants for the third exam." Hayate answers calmly.

"Oh no!" Sakura exclaims. Sensing her uneasiness, I place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, only to find that it had the opposite effect. Sakura immediately tenses before glancing back at me with a sheepish smile. I lower my hand and smile sadly in response, noticing the fear still lingering in her eyes.

'Ah... that's right. Even if they say they accept me, their bodies still remember that fear... that applies for Sakura especially.' I take a small step back, watching her turn her gaze back to the proctor. I let out a small, dark chuckle. 'The game's always the same... I'm still the same outsider.'

"How fun." I murmur, feeling that undeniable insanity rearing its ugly head once again. 'But as fun as it is... now isn't the time to fall into it.' I remind myself before returning my attention to the proctor.

*cough* Hayate muffles the sound in his fist before focusing his gaze back to the participants. "As previously mentioned by Hokage-sama, there are many guests for the third exam, so we cannot have a lot of matches. For this exam, we are limited on time as well, so those who aren't feeling well…" He trails off as a rounds of coughs rack his body.

I send him a skeptical glance, finding his words ironic. 'You're the one that seems to be feeling unwell…'

"Excuse me. If anyone wants to quit after hearing the explanation…please let me know. The preliminary matches will start immediately." Hayate continues.

"Immediately?!" Kiba cuts in.

I stare blankly ahead before chuckling in amusement. 'Meaning Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and I have a slight disadvantage here. We're not as well rested as the others.' I smirk. 'But who said anything about this challenge being fair. That's the fun in this game.'

"But we just got through the second exam…" Ino mutters out sadly.

"How troublesome." Shika sighs out.

I shift my eyes over to Shika. 'Same old Shika…but knowing you, you're going to be able to get past this round as long as you think of this match as one of our shogi games. If I ever get a chance to fight you, I'm sure I would lose…' My smirk widens. 'As of now anyway.'

"I forgot to mention this, but you will have one-on-one matches from here on out. So please withdraw if you wish." Hayate adds.

The crowd begins to shift as the examinees talk amongst one another in hushed whispers, just like psycho-sensei, Ojii-san, and Ibiki-san are doing in the front. The trio send pointed glances to my row before resuming whatever argument they seem to having. I narrow my eyes in suspicion, wondering what their decision would be, seeing as it's fairly obvious by now that they know what happened in that forest especially with Ojii-san's all-seeing stalker orb. Again, old habits die hard, but in this case, his stalker tendencies will save me from explaining later.

"Sasuke-kun, you should withdraw from the preliminary matches." Sakura advises softly.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I turn to Sakura and Sasuke, noticing in distaste Sasuke showing obvious signs of pain as he clutches the seal on his neck.

'It's gotten worse…' I grit my teeth in annoyance as I watch Sakura try to reason with him. So far, it didn't seem Sakura was making any progress with breaking through his thick skull. 'Baka. You shouldn't have protected me, but we can't change the past…' I bite my bottom lip before making a move toward Sasuke, only to feel the seal on my neck burn, almost as in warning. I stifle a grunt as I clutch my neck in an attempt to stop the clawing sensation on my neck.

'Nani? Why is it acting up now!' I shut my eyes tightly in an attempt to somehow block out the pain.

"At this rate… please… please stop.." Sakura begs.

I crack open my eyes and see Naruto and Sasuke focusing their attention on Sakura. 'Ah... It's always about her…' The burning sensation increases, causing my vision to blur in and out. 'She's always there… she's always in their sight…why? Why not me?'

'_**You're losing yourself again.'**_

"You're not in any condition to fight normally, Sasuke-kun."

"Shut up." Sasuke retorts.

"I know it!"

"Just be quiet for a minute already…" I mumble to myself as I grip my neck tighter.

'_**I can feel it. Your lie is crumbling. You can't be near them… can't be near him.' **_

"Be quiet."

"You've been bearing with the pain all this time!" Sakura exclaims.

"Just be quiet!"

"Whatever you say, I'm going to tell them about that mark."

'_**The seal is reacting to your emotions.'**_

I scoff sardonically. 'Really? I never noticed.' I thought sarcastically.

_**'Being sarcastic isn't going to help this…'**_

'Ah, too bad... Sarcasm makes the world go round.'

'_**Baka.'**_

Rolling my eyes, I add, 'You're technically calling yourself one too seeing as we're the same person.'

'… _**No comment. It seems you have calmed down, but you still delude yourself. You have much to learn…so, so much to learn.'** _Minori murmurs before her voices fades away, signaling the end of the conversation.

'No straight answer huh?' Fixing my gaze on the ground, I lower my hand to my side, feeling the pain ebbing away. 'So you're going to resort to smoke and mirrors too? Just like everyone else...' I chuckle in amusement as something cold churns in my stomach. 'Always hiding the truth... just like this village.' I thought bitterly as pained cries echo in my head. I narrow my eyes before letting out a soft sigh. 'Damn old prune... still mocking me as usual...' I muse, pushing away the dark memories.

I hear a gasp and glance up to see Sakura sending me a worried glance. I quirk a brow. "Look, I know you used to have a crush on me, but that look... it's creeping me out." I mutter blandly, noticing in amusement her face scrunching up in frustration. 'Ah, now that's the normal Sakura.' I observe as a strangled cry rumbles in her throat.

"Are you being serious now?" She scolds. "And stop changing the subject! You were just grabbing your neck just like Sasuke-kun so don't play it off like everything's flower and rainbows."

I put my hands up in surrender. "Ah, I'm serious, but flowers and rainbows?" I ask dryly, lowering my hands back to my sides. "If everything was like that... it would be a horrible place to live in..." I comment, earning a muted version of her usual groans.

Huffing, she sends me a glare. "There you go again." She grumbles. "Look, act all tough and whatnot, but your seal is bothering you too... isn't it?" Her voice softens, gaining a fearful twinge. "You... can't do this... you have to drop out of the matches. What happened back there... it scares me." She grips her arms tightly. "It scares me so much... seeing you like that, so crazed and eager to slaughter anyone you see... I don't ever want to see that again, but if you.. if you...keep going... then, then..." A choked sob escapes her lips as I continue to watch her blankly, letting her let everything out. "So please... please don't continue."

"Ah, asking for the impossible." I eye Sakura in sympathy. "I refuse." I finally mutter, snapping her attention away from her feet. "I'm fighting."

"You can't!" She whispers harshly, trying not to draw any more attention to us and utterly failing if the hushed whispers are anything to go by.

I scoff. "I am and nothing you say will change that." I add before flinching at the pain. "I've had worse. Trust me."

Sakura shakes her head from side to side. "But… what if you lose control again? Your seal's weaker now right? What's going to happen if…if…" She trails off as her body trembles.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan." We turn to Naruto. "I'll just wake her up like I've always done." Naruto replies as he flashes us his signature cheesy grin.

"Like last time, dobe." Sasuke inputs sarcastically, causing a tick mark to appear on Naruto's head. Before Naruto can comment, I place a hand over his mouth, muffling his outraged cries.

Rolling my eyes, I glance over at Sakura with a smile. "It's our choice Sakura. Trust us. If anything were to happen…" I trail off, looking at the proctors and catching Ibiki and Anko's eyes. They send me reassuring looks, causing me to smile. "The proctors will stop the match."

Sakura looks away. "I-it's just…I-I'm s-scared t-that.."

"Sakura," I start, catching her gaze, "Nothing will happen to either of us. Trust us, or rather trust them." She glances over at Sasuke who sends her a nod. Releasing a sigh, she concedes but the worry remains on her face.

"I guess I have no choice... but please, be careful." Sakura mutters feebly as a half-hearted smile enters her face. "I might be worrying excessively, but with how reckless you two are, I can't help it." She explains before eyeing my arms. "You especially." She grumbles.

"Ah, seems like that huh." I wipe away the dried blood crusting my arm. "Don't worry. I heal fast. See?" I show her the hole-free skin, earning a deadpan look in response.

"Gee... that makes me feel so much better..." She murmurs sarcastically before sending a worried glance at Sasuke who had yet to comment.

I let out a sigh. "Look, it's fine to worry. I know I am for our brooding teammate over here." I jut my thumb over to said brooding male as our gazes match. "He better not do anything foolish out there."

"Hn. I would worry more about myself if I were you." Sasuke retorts, a smirk adorning his face.

'Translation: Don't be reckless.' My smile drops when I feel something wet leaking through my glove.

"Naruto!" I whisper harshly when I pull off the moist glove off my hand. I send him a half-hearted glare, but he merely sends me a cheeky smile before facing Sasuke.

"Stop acting cool baka! Sakura-chan's worried about you." Naruto exclaims. "Besides, at least I can actually do something for Riku. You just stood there last time."

I throw my wet glove at Naruto's face, resulting in him flailing his arms until the glove peels off his face and lands on the ground with a splat. "Don't start that now. You'll have time to fight with Sasuke later." I answer with a smile. Naruto pouts for a moment before agreeing.

Smirking, Sasuke glances over at Naruto. "Naruto, when we fight, I won't hold back."

At the words, he looks at Sasuke in pure shock before it morphs into a confident smile. "Good, because I won't either, teme. You better not whine when I wipe the floor with you!" I can't help but smile at their antics.

"Hn. In your dreams, dobe."

'Looks like he finally acknowledges Naruto as a rival now. Things are starting to get better between the two of them, but I will admit it's funny to see boys bonding over the idea of fighting each other. Must be a male testosterone thing.' I muse before glancing over to Sakura. 'As for Sakura and I… I feel like things have gotten more complicated. I no longer exist in her reality… she sees me as that _monster_. I can see it. She's afraid… but she's trying to get past it. Guess we'll see what happens... it seems Sasuke's not really phased by my little episode...' I hope.

Hayate looks around in the crowd. "Seeing as no one wants to give up, let's begin the preliminary matches. They will be one-on-one to simulate real combat. Since we have 22 people, we will have 11 matches where the winners of each will advance to the third exam. There are no rules. You will fight until the other person dies, is knocked out, or admits defeat. If you do not want to die, please give up immediately; however, if I judge that the match is over…I may stop you to prevent any unnecessary deaths. The thing that will hold your destiny…" He breaks off as he motions towards a hidden screen. "This electric bulletin board will randomly display the names of two fighters for each match. Without further ado, I will now display the names of the first match."

*beep*beep*beep*

_Akadou Yoroi V.S. Uchiha Sasuke_

'Ahh… that was fast.' I stare blankly at the screen before turning to see Sasuke clutching his neck again. I bite my bottom lip. 'It's acting up again… I don't really remember what happened the last time that mark took over, but I hope you can fight it.'

I glance over at Sakura and see her clasping her hands together nervously as she gazes at Sasuke's back. I shake my head. 'What the hell have we gotten ourselves into Sasuke?'

"Those whose names were displayed, step up. The fighters for the first match are Akadou Yoroi and Uchiha Sasuke. Are there any objections?"

"No!"

"We will now begin the first match. Everyone other than the two fighters, please move up there." Hayate motions to the stands overhead.

Everyone besides team seven makes a move towards the stands.

"Good luck teme!" Naruto exclaims before walking away with nervous Sakura, leaving Kaka-sensei and me with Sasuke.

"Don't die or all your fangirls are going to cry alright?" I warn as seriously as I can before cracking a small smile.

He scoffs, shaking his head in amusement. "Wouldn't dream of it." He sends me a glance. "When I win this, I'll be going after you too. The dobe's not the only one I want to fight, so don't disappoint and lose your match."

"Ah, is that so?" I send him an amused glance before turning on my heel. "Say that to me again when you win." I tease before making my way up to the stands with the other Konoha ninjas. With the two combatants remaining on the ground floor, Hayate walks forward and raises his hand.

"Begin!"

At the signal, Yoroi tosses several shuriken at Sasuke, who blocks them with ease; however, he suddenly loses his balance and falls to the ground, giving his opponent an opening. Dodging the hit, Sasuke wrestles Yoroi to the ground and puts him in an arm bar before his grip suddenly slackens, allowing his opponent to slip away easily.

I frown at the sight. 'What was that? It's not like you to freeze up…even when fatigued.'

Yoroi continues to attack relentlessly with his glowing blue hand, forcing Sasuke to go on the defensive.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yells.

Yoroi manages to grab Sasuke's head and force him to the ground. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke tries to rip away Yoroi's grip, but his arms soon slacken and fall to his sides.

My frown deepens. 'He's absorbing your chakra... just like Orochimaru's snakes did to me.'

"Baka. Get away from him!" I warn, knowing if he didn't get out of that grip soon, it would be over.

Pushing his arms back up, Sasuke grabs Yoroi's arm before positioning his feet over the guy's chest.

"Get off!" Sasuke yells as he kicks him away.

Yoroi staggers back in surprise. "You still have some strength left? You're just a guinea pig… Relax, I'll end this quickly."

I glance back at Sakura to see her looking away.

"Don't you dare look away." I warn.

She turns to me in surprise.

"He's won't lose this match." I shift my gaze back at Sasuke who continues to stare blankly ahead.

"Oi Baka!" Naruto calls, causing him to turn around to look at us. "You call yourself an Uchiha with that? Stop acting like an idiot and get serious!"

I smile at Naruto's jab before leaning further against the railing.

"Ah, never pegged you as someone who gives up. Besides, isn't there something you need to tell me after you win, Sasuke?" I call out, smiling in amusement when I see the smirk forming on his face.

"Hn. Did you already forget?" Scoffing, he straightens up. "Guess I need to remind you after I win." He goads, causing Yoroi to silently seethe at the blatant disregard.

"You don't have time to look away now! I'll end this now." Yoroi warns as he runs toward Sasuke. Turning on his heel, Sasuke continues to dodge the palm strikes before disappearing from view and kicking Yoroi up into the air.

I furrow my brows at the move. "It's just like Lee's…" I observe.

Hearing the comment, Sasuke adds, "From here on out, it's all original though." He reappears in the air behind Yoroi. A sinking feeling hits my gut when I notice the mark spreading across his neck.

"Oi fight it!" I grip the edge of the railing anxiously before slackening my grip when I see the mark recede. Shaking my head, I let out a small sigh, knowing the worst was over. 'Almost in the clear...'

After a momentary pause, Sasuke sends a barrage of punches at Yoroi - all of which connect - before landing a final kick to Yoroi's stomach as they approach the ground. Yoroi lets out a pained grunt once his back hits the ground whereas Sasuke slides back several feet. Several seconds tick by before Sasuke shakily stands.

Hayate eyes the two combatants, and after deeming Yoroi unable to continue takes a step forward. "I will stop this match now. Uchiha Sasuke is the winner of the first match."

"Yatta!" Naruto exclaims happily, jumping up and fist pumping.

I smile down at him. 'You managed to fight it off Sasuke. I'm glad.'

Sighing deeply, Sasuke falls back in exhaustion, but Kaka-sensei reappears behind him before he hits the ground.

"Sasuke! You won in such an idiotic way! You're all worn out! Baka!" Naruto exclaims.

"Guess some things never change." I sigh out as I lean against the railing.

_Good job Sasuke_. I mouth to him, earning a smirk in response.

_Don't you dare lose. _He mouths before a stream of medic nins stream into the arena - some heading over to place Yoroi on the stretcher and others heading to Sasuke.

Kaka-sensei waves the medic off, despite the medic's protests, before helping Sasuke up and leading him to another exit. Frowning, Sasuke trails after Kaka-sensei - all while gripping his neck in pain.

'Looks like it's still acting up then... just like psycho-sensei's does from time to time. I just hope I can squeeze some information about it out of her, but knowing her, that's probably not going to end well.' I scoff.

"Hey Riku."

I glance over to see Sakura sending me a rather vicious look and having... flames behind her? I sweatdrop at the scene but nevertheless nod to let her know I'm listening.

"So what's this thing Sasuke-kun needed to tell you after his match?" She asks sweetly, but I knew that tone. She only uses it when she's about to whack Naruto.

'Geez, what did I do this time?' I thought before offering her a shrug. "Nothing much. Just him telling me to make it to the finals so he can fight me." I explain. "I just told him to tell me that after he wins. He gets ahead of himself too much." I wave off, noticing the rising anger behind Sakura's fake smile. 'Ok... now what pissed her off?' I furrow my brows in confusion before she huffs and crosses her arms.

"Huh... so it was just that?"

I send her a bland look. "Ah, yeah. What else would it be? Now, if you don't mind. I'd rather not have you looking at me like I'm a piece of rare meat if you know what I mean." I joke, earning a quick smack on my arm.

"Jerk." She sniffs, but a small smile appears on her face regardless. "You need to stop that running gag of yours."

I hum in acknowledgement before shrugging. "Probably won't. It's too fun."

"Sakura-chan," Naruto calls out, earning her attention, "did you see some sort of weird wound on Sasuke's neck during the match?"

She pauses for a moment before answering, "I don't know."

"I see." Naruto murmurs in response, though doubt showed in his eyes.

'Looks like Sasuke wants to keep it a secret from him…' I thought as I glance at the two. 'But Naruto's more perceptive than we give him credit for… he knows something's wrong… I just hope things turn out fine in the end.' I muse.

"We will now begin the next match." Hayate announces.

* * *

><p>*beep*beep*beep*<p>

Zaku Abumi V.S. Aburame Shino

The match between Zaku and Shino didn't last very long. Zaku underestimated his opponent and allowed himself to get cornered. His stubbornness just landed himself on the stretcher, seeing as he tried to perform his air cutter even though his hands were blocked with Shino's bugs. The extra pressure had to go somewhere and the only option for it was to make its own exit through Zaku's arms. I would have been surprised if he was able to stay conscious after that incident.

"Winner: Aburame Shino."

Naruto stares at the two in shock. "What the hell? Shino was that strong a person?"

Sakura sends Shino and uneasy glance. "This whole time I thought he was a creepy person…"

I nod. "Ahh… looks like anyone can be dangerous huh?" I ask, earning nods of agreement from the two.

"I would like to move onto the next match now." Hayate states.

*poof*

Naruto, Sakura, and I turn around to see a slightly worn out Kaka-sensei.

"Yo!" He states with a small wave.

"Don't just say 'yo' to me. What about Sasuke-kun? Is he alright?" Sakura asks desperately.

"Yes. He's asleep at the hospital now." He states before his face falls into a slight frown. Sakura releases a sigh of relief before facing at the screening board once again.

I glance at Kaka-sensei's face before facing forward once again. 'There's more… he's not telling us something, but there's nothing I can do right now.' I release a sigh. 'Things have gotten more complicated huh?'

* * *

><p>*beep*beep*beep*<p>

_Tsurugi Misumi V.S. Kankuro_

I glance at the names with a grin. 'Guess we'll see what he's really made of…but it seems the both of them are underestimating each other…'

To put it simply, Kankuro held true to his words. The match ended quickly once his puppet caught Misumi in its grasps and knocked him out.

Hayate eyes Misumi in disinterest before raising his hand to signal the end of the match. "Since his opponent is unable to fight, the winner is Kankuro."

"Two against one is unfair. Is that allowed? Is it Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asks skeptically.

"It's not unfair. It's just a doll after all." Kaka-sensei answers blandly.

"He's controlling the doll with his chakra. It's merely a tool like a shuriken." Sakura continues.

"Ahh… all of that is true. Then again, he did say there are no rules. That's what makes this all the more fun." I add with a smile. They all send me looks that said 'you're insane.'

Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Who's to say?

"Moving along… *cough*cough* we will now begin the fourth match."

*beep*beep*beep*

"Geez everyone here is such a weirdo." Naruto mumbles out.

Kaka-sensei quirks brow. "And you're not?"

"That's right." Sakura and I say at the same time.

Naruto sends us a pout, causing us to laugh in response.

*beep*

"This isn't the time to be laughing." Kaka-sensei warns as he points to the screen. Sakura looks over and freezes.

_Haruno Sakura V.S. Yamanaka Ino_

Sakura and Ino glance at each other in surprise before heading down to the fighting area.

"It just had to be these two… I hope Ino doesn't hold back for Sakura's sake." I mumble out as I lean against the railing.

"This is going to be unpleasant." Shika agrees.

"Will Ino be okay?" Chouji asks.

"Sakura-chan! Do your best! Don't lose!" Naruto shouts out.

"Begin."

The match starts and only weapons and taijutsu moves are used. They appear to be evenly matched, but it seemed as if Ino was holding back. Sakura had something to prove to Ino if I recalled correctly and was doing her best to gain an edge; however, Ino continues to stay on the defensive, only blocking or countering Sakura's attacks. They were extremely close before they started fighting for Sasuke's affection. It was evident that Ino still sees Sakura as the defenseless girl she saved by the way she was fighting at the moment.

"Baka. You still don't realize it do you…" I mutter out.

Although Sakura is my teammate, I can't help but worry about Ino, seeing as she did so much for me despite how little she knows me. I do remember the days when I saw her at the playground though; she was one of the few who even approached me to begin with. Things just became complicated after and I never was able to go back to the playground for some reason. That was how our small friendship ended. Even so, I still remember how caring she was. But now, she's louder and holds a false image to impress Sasuke. Despite that, she still cares for others, though it's difficult to see.

I prop my chin on the palm of my hand. 'You still won't accept the fact that Sakura doesn't need to be protected by you anymore… when will you tell her how you really feel Ino? Throwing away a friendship for a guy who hasn't given you a second glance... what were you thinking?' I let out a sigh. 'I suppose I'm somewhat same - throwing away everything for Naruto's sake, giving up my so-called dream. Heh, psycho-sensei would be having a field day right now if she know's I'm still stuck on this.' I muse as I cast Naruto a glance to see him avidly cheering Sakura on.

"Sakura-chan is at an advantage!" Naruto shouts happily.

Shika sends him a cold look before muttering, "If you're not an idiot then you must be sleeping."

This causes Naruto to growl out, "Who's-" before Neji cuts in saying, "They're girls after all. Their physical combat skills are lower than normal."

My right eye twitches slightly in annoyance as I send a glare his way. 'Sexist bastard.'

"It's not because they're female. Those two are just soft against each other. Sex doesn't matter in battle." Tenten corrects with a slight frown, probably annoyed with Neji's comment.

"Soft..?" Naruto repeats in confusion before turning back to the match.

"Ah, this is a waste of time for everyone if they don't get serious." I murmur blandly as I eye the two fighters below.

"How can you say that Riku? Sakura-chan's our teammate!" Naruto scolds.

'Coming to her defense again...' I grit my teeth in annoyance before shrugging. "That's why I'm saying it. I wouldn't bother if I didn't know her. This..." I gesture to the match below. "...is pointless if both aren't serious. One's stuck in her past whereas the other is fighting past her insecurities. Basically a huge mess if you ask me." I grumble, only to receive a disappointed glance from Naruto before he focuses his attention back on the match.

Frowning at the sinking feeling in my gut, I look off the side before feeling a hand resting on my head. I glance over to see Shika staring blankly at the match. "Shika?" I murmur.

Sighing, he lowers his hand and rests his forearms against the railing. "Ino's as troublesome as always." He grumbles. "She's pretty transparent, isn't she?"

I nod. "Ah... I hope she wakes up soon. This is a far cry from what she can do." I murmur, recalling her performance at the academy. "Lingering on a past memory... it's painful..."

Shika sends me an unreadable look before scratching the back of his head. "Yeah... it's troublesome." He mutters distractedly. "But sometimes it's too important to let go." He adds softly, causing me to send him a confused glance. He matches my gaze for a moment before turning back to the match, refusing to explain further.

"Ah..." I murmur in agreement before turning back to the match to see Sakura clenching her hands.

"Now that it's come to this…I have no intention of fighting you over Sasuke-kun!" She cries out, causing Ino to openly gawk in surprise. "You and Sasuke-kun just don't match. I'm also stronger than you now. You're not even a rival now!" She continues.

Gritting her teeth, Ino releases a low growl. "Sakura! Do you know who you're talking to like that?"

"Like..like… I think Sakura-chan said too much. Ino looks scary with those eyes." Naruto states fearfully as he looks between Kaka-sensei and me.

I shake my head in response. "No. She said just enough. Things are going to get a bit more interesting now."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Naruto asks confused.

"Just watch. You should see something very familiar soon." I answer back nonchalantly.

"Eh?" He states as he scratches the back of his head.

**{~}**

-Back to the fight-

Sakura takes off her headband and ties it on her forehead. Ino quickly follow suit before they engage in a more intense version of their previous taijutsu spar. This continues for a while before Sakura angers Ino to a point where she cuts off her own hair. I knew Ino was eccentric at times, but I didn't think she would have gone that far to prove Sakura wrong. But it seems the match was starting to get more serious. Insults were being shared between the two before Ino attempts to use her Mind Transfer Jutsu. Warnings are yelled at her from the stands, but she ignores them. Her body slumps onto the ground as Sakura commends Ino for her failed attempt. As Sakura makes a move towards Ino, she finds herself trapped in place with chakra strings leading back to Ino.

"You've fallen for my trap, Sakura. I've finally caught you. I was just pretending when I formed those seals so that I could lure you into this trap. How do you like it? It's a special rope made with the chakra I ran through my hair. This time I definitely won't miss. Ninpou, Shintenshin no Jutsu!" (Mind Transfer Technique)

Ino's body slumps forward as Sakura's body slightly slackens. It wasn't long before Sakura raise her arm.

"I, Haruno Sakura, will give-"

Before she finishes, Naruto yells at her to stop. She merely smirks in reply before holding her head in pain. The pain must have been too great, since Ino canceled the jutsu, returning herself to her body. Both exhausted, the two make one final attempt to continue to the third exam. With the last of their chakra, Ino and Sakura run at one another before punching each other in the face. The two skid back several feet and make an attempt to get up; however, both quickly fall back unconscious.

Hayate looks between the two before announcing, "Both are unable to fight. Due to a double KO, no one passes the fourth preliminary match."

With that, Kaka-sensei and Asuma-sensei go down and bring the two of them up to the stands. We all crowd around them to see if they were alright. It seems they were merely knocked out and didn't even require any medical assistance. I look back at the fighting area and see their headbands forgotten. Seeing how no one else was going to make a move to retrieve them, I jump down to pick them up before returning to the stands. I can't help but smile at the two. 'They've come so far and it seems they've finally fixed their friendship through that match. Guess girls can fix things through fighting as well.'

*sigh*

'Seems it's not really a male testosterone thing. Looks like I still have a lot to learn.'

*beep*beep*beep*

_Amarante Riku V.S. Yakushi Kabuto_

"Riku you're up." Kaka-sensei states as he places a hand on my shoulder. I glance back at him before facing the two girls propped against the wall.

"Ahh…" I answer after I place the headbands on Ino's lap. 'Rest well you two.'

As I make my way to the fighting area, Shika places a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't do anything troublesome. I had enough shock from Ino." He grumbles.

I can't help but smirk in response. "But where's the fun in that? You know I love seeing you flustered." I answer as I rub his head. His left eye twitches in annoyance before he swats my hand away.

"Troublesome woman." He mutters before walking away. I swear I saw a faint pink dusting his face. 'He's been like that lately… how odd.'

"Do your best Riku! Don't you dare lose!" Naruto yells loudly as I jump down to the fighting area.

"I wouldn't dream of it…" I mutter to myself as I walk over to Kabuto. He sends me a sheepish smile as he stops several feet away from me.

"Didn't expect this to happen. Who knew we would have to fight against each other here?" Kabuto asks as he rubs the back of his head before allowing his hand to rest at his side. "So I'm guessing your dream is similar to the reason you entered this exam? Don't you want to do something for yourself for a change - have a dream that's only for yourself?"

I smile. "Ah, you're not far off. As for having my own dream... I don't have that right." I explain before narrowing my eyes when the image of crimson eyes flash across my mind. 'Not again...' I thought in annoyance before adding, "I gave that up a long time ago."

"Really?" He sends me a worried glance. "I'm guessing you lost someone pretty important then..." His gaze becomes sympathetic. "Must be why you're so willing to throw away everything to be some glorified shield. I don't know about you, but that's rather... sad." His gaze becomes downcast. "Is it for someone specific?"

I send him a careless shrug. "Does it really matter? It's something I chose for myself... even if it... damages me beyond repair." I whisper darkly, noticing in amusement the shock on his face.

"But why, why go that far?"

I send him a smile, knowing he could never understand. "I just do." I answer simply, hovering my hand over a certain pouch.

"If you two are done... we have a match to start." Hayate reminds. "Are you two ready?"

"Yes!

"Begin!"

**{~}**

**(Third person perspective)**

Once the words leave Hayate's lips, Riku jumps back several feet, sending several shuriken towards Kabuto with her left hand while pulling out a scroll with her right. As the shuriken make their way towards their intended target, Riku opens the scroll before biting her thumb and running the blood down the printed characters. In response, Kabuto quickly takes out a kunai, easily deflecting the shuriken before sending the kunai and several shuriken her way. Before the projectiles connect, Riku slams the scroll onto the ground before a pillar of water knocks the projectiles uselessly to the ground. The water continues to gush out before ice spikes hurdle towards him. Kabuto rolls over to the side before seeing a leg flying towards his face. He grabs the leg out of reflex as a blue glow surrounds his hand. A grunt of pain escapes Riku before she twists her body and uses her hands to push herself away as ice spikes erupt from the ground. Riku skids back several feet as she glances down at her leg in distaste. The muscles in her calf are torn, rendering it temporarily useless until the water finishes healing her. The gushing water finally stops, allowing Kabuto full visual of the crouching girl. He eyes the water creeping on her leg in interest.

"Looks like you have some tricks as well Riku-chan." Kabuto states as he glances at her healed leg curiously.

"If you say so... still, I don't get it." Riku mumbles, sending Kabuto a curious glance. "You're still holding back on me."

"Why do you say that?" Kabuto blinks owlishly at the girl before him as he rubs the back of his head. "Can't say that I am."

Chuckling softly, she murmurs, "Gut feeling," before charging forward - only to stop short to crouch down and uproot the floor tile, sending it flying toward a startled Kabuto. Smiling at his look of surprise, she forms her ice claws before ramming her fist against the slab, sending a barrage of raining debris before ducking behind the larger chunks.

*splash*splash*

Composing himself, Kabuto eyes his surrounding, hoping to catch sight of her as he continues to dodge the raining debris. 'Not there...' He shifts his gaze around, hearing the sloshing sound of water surround him with a frown. 'It sounds as if she's all over the place... I can't pinpoint the source of the sound for some reason...' He observes before feeling a deep stab of pain in his side. Eyes wide, he gazes down to see a large chunk of ice shoved against his side before a swift punch to the face knocks him into the remaining debris and down to the floor. Wincing, he staggers back up before swiftly removing the projectile and dropping it on the floor. Placing a tentative hand over his side, he seals the deep wound, knowing his cells would repair themselves soon enough. 'That was smart of her...' He muses as he eyes her standing several feet away. 'Using the debris as cover and attacking when my guard was lowered. That move was pretty violent of her, but not completely unexpected.' He places a tentative hand on his cheek, knowing it was already showing signs of bruising. 'Still, it's pretty obvious you're holding back as well. With this set-up, you can easily electrocute me to death, but seeing as you have yet to use your lightning element or your eye technique, you'd rather not show all your cards so early. Just like me.' He pushes his glasses higher, allowing the glare to hide his eyes from sight. "Regardless, I'm supposed to lose this match, but that doesn't mean I can't gather as much information as possible. Looks like there's no way around it then...' He decides.

"You know..." Riku drawls, "If you're still set on playing your game, you need to pay attention." She warns with a smile.

'This will be fun.' Kabuto muses before chuckling softly. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, and to make it fair," he trails off as a clone reappears behind Riku with a kunai against her neck, "I should warn you too, so keep your eyes on me, alright?"

Humming in acceptance, Riku lets out a small laugh. "This is great..." She murmurs, pressing herself against the clone's chest to allow her ice claw room to stop the kunai. "This is how my sensei greeted me." Her voice takes on a dark edge. "It still ticks me off." She finishes before ducking and running her claws through the clone. Turning around, she blocks the incoming kick before grunting when Kabuto breaks through her guard and severs the tendons in her shoulder. Frowning, she sends a wave of water to push him back before smirking when the steam fills the room.

"About time." She murmurs before flexing her usable claw. 'Bikoume.'

The steam continues to fill the room as several of the occupants pull at their clothes in discomfort at the rising temperature. The arena is soon covered in the thick steam, only allowing the spectators to hear the sounds of clashing metal and pained grunts as signs of the ongoing fight. It isn't until a distinct female cry is heard that the Konoha ninjas gaze anxiously at the battle.

'C'mon already... hurry up and clear out.' Naruto grips the railing in concern as he eyes the slowly fading steam. The sound of another cry sends him over the edge as his grip tightens almost unbearably so, causing the metal to groan slightly under the pressure. "Riku!" He calls out as his eyes gain a red tint.

"Damn it." Shikamaru grips the railing as he gazes at the dispersing mist in annoyance. "Don't be reckless..."

The mist soon clears, revealing the bleeding forms of Riku and Kabuto. Most of the water had already evaporated, leaving several small puddles littering the ground. The two pay no mind to them as they continue to engage in taijutsu. Both are panting slightly from exhaustion, but neither appears to be giving in to the other. As more time passes, Kabuto gains an edge with the chakra scalpel, severing muscle fibers after muscle fibers. More limbs hang useless as time passes and although the water can heal her injuries, it can't keep up with the constant hits. Riku slightly staggers back gripping her left arm before being encased in the arms of the shadow clone standing behind her.

"You really should stop." The Kabuto clone whispers into her ear. "I don't want to hurt you anymore." His eyes trail down the seal on her neck before a smirk appears on his face.

'It's finally started.' He thought before his eyes widen, and he disappears in a cloud of smoke.

"Don't." Riku growls out as the ice spikes recede back into the ground. "Don't look down on me. Don't pity me." She grips the left side of her face before revealing a slitted eye.

"This…" Naruto gazes down at her with a pained look, feeling something unsettling churning in him. Shaking away the feeling, he focuses his gaze on Riku. "Oi Riku! Don't let it control you. I know you're stronger than that!"

'No worries.' Scoffing, Riku allows a smile on her face as she watches Kabuto charging at her with a chakra scalpel poised for her chest. 'Let's see if this really works then.' She does nothing to move and allows it to connect.

*Ba-dump*Ba...dump*

Pain lurches in her chest as blood trails down the corner of her lips. She sends him an amused glance. "You finally stopped hesitating." She breathes out before more blood dribbles from her mouth. Her hands lightly grip Kabuto's arm as she continues to take labored breaths.

"You didn't move." He comments evenly as he gazes at the girl slowly leaning towards him. 'What's going on...? She should have dodged. That was the logical course of action and yet...' He sends Riku a somewhat remorseful look. 'She'll die at this rate... and I can't have that.'

Shock can be seen across the faces of the spectators.

"This... has to be a joke..." Naruto grips the railing tightly. "Riku! You can't lose like this!" Naruto shouts angrily. "Riku!"

She doesn't respond and continues to cough out blood.

"Oi Riku! This isn't funny anymore stop joking around!" Shikamaru yells out as he watches her form begin to sway. This had to be some sort of joke right? Riku always teased him and sometimes gave him heartaches with her jokes, but this was going too far. There was no way she could die from this right? The match would end before she would… this just had to be another game of hers. Yeah… this is just another game…

She continues to cough out blood until her form becomes limp in Kabuto's arms.

"You really should have just stopped." Kabuto whispers as he stares at the girl in his arms. "But I would have thought you would last longer…demon." He whispers softly before allowing the medical chakra to flow into her wound. 'Even if I heal you, it would be impossible for you to win... looks like I'll have to forfeit.' A rueful smile enters his face. 'Now the trick would be getting you to accept that.'

"Riku get up!" Naruto yells desperately, but the girl doesn't respond. Hayate looks between Riku and Kabuto and makes a move to end the match; however, just as he was about to announce the results, he notices the girl's hand slowly rising. Before anyone can react, Riku's hands tightly grip Kabuto's arms. He gazes at her in disbelief. 'Impossible! It's too soon for her body to recover! She shouldn't even be able to move right now.' Frowning, he makes a move to push her away, only to notice her grip tightening painfully so.

"You're right..." She trails off as her breaths come out in cold puffs. "Demon... monster... that's all me." She chuckles darkly before gazing at him with a red-tinted eye. "But I don't care anymore." Ice slowly encases him arms and legs until everything from the neck down is covered in a thick layer of ice.

Shivering from the cold, Kabuto sends Riku a scrutinizing glance. 'This goes against all the data. Her body isn't in any condition to undergo this much stress, so how is this even possible?' Chuckling at his look of disbelief, the Riku before him reverts back into her ice-like form. 'An ice clone?' He stares at the clone in disbelief. 'To be able to mimic bodily functions to that extent... she far surpasses the data.'

At the revelation, Shikamaru lets out a deep sigh, sagging further against the railing. Running a hand down his face, he murmurs, "Troublesome woman." A hollow chuckle escapes his lips. 'You really know how to make a guy sweat baka.' He muses before his expression drops. 'But this jutsu... there has to be a some catch. Normal clones dispel after one hit and yet this one is able to take much more damage, even as far as to simulate injuries.' His grip tightens. 'Don't tell me you really went through with idiotic idea of yours...' He prays before shaking his head. 'You really are a troublesome woman.'

At the same time, Kakashi eyes the clone in confusion, wondering where she learned such an advanced jutsu. "An ice clone huh?" He voices aloud. "That's not something you can easily pick up." He comments.

"Really?" Sakura asks, earning a nod. Turning back to the fight, she furrows her brows in thought. "So if that's a clone, then where's Riku?"

As though to answer Sakura's question, Riku crawls out from one of the lone puddles before standing. Smiling, she wipes away her wet bangs before uttering, "Checkmate."

'I see... so I wasn't the only one to use the steam to my advantage then. With this set-up, it's obvious I've lost, but I wouldn't say this match was a waste, seeing as I've gathered quite a bit of data of my dear friend here.' Kabuto muses before sending Riku a disarming smile. "Looks like you win, Riku. I give-" He starts before Riku cuts him off.

"Ah, I refuse." She deadpans, causing a stifling silence to envelope the room.

Sakura stares at her in disbelief before robotically turning to Kakashi. "She's... joking... right?"

Sweat dropping, Kakashi scratches his cheek awkwardly. "No... I don't think so..."

Kabuto stares at her in disbelief, still processing the information. Once it settles in, he openly gawks. "Wait, seriously?"

"Seriously." She parrots in amusement. With a snap of her fingers, the ice encasing Kabuto shatters.

Outcries echo throughout the room, adding to Riku's growing amusement.

**{~}**

-At the stands-

"That baka! Of all the times, she picks now to be serious!" Sakura cries. "Where was this when we were fighting Zabuza, better yet, an hour ago when I was pouring my heart out worrying for her?!" She grips her hair in frustration before slumping forward. "I don't get her at all." She groans, earning nods of agreement from the other observers.

"Is Riku-san always this... odd?" Lee asks, earning a laugh from Tenten at the irony.

"Like you're one to talk." Tenten teases before crossing her arms. "...but I see your point... I never expected this to happen. It doesn't make any sense, seeing as she could have won with that last move. What do you think Neji?"

Crossing his arms, he mutters, "She's just prolonging the inevitable. It's clear she's the winner of the match, but it's odd that she seems dissatisfied with the result."

Tenten hums in agreement. "I think so too... at least she's not a weak female, huh Neji?" She adds smugly, earning a scoff from her teammate.

Kiba gazes down at the match before groaning in frustration. "Geez, what's with her? I knew she was weird at the Academy for strutting around like a guy all this time, but this takes the cake. Guess she must have some screws loose after hanging around Naruto all the time, huh Akamaru?"

*Arf*Arf*

"Yeah... tell me about it."

"I don't think that's entirely the case." Shino adds, earning a disbelieving look from Kiba.

"Huh? What are you going on about?"

"Think about it. It's clear from the start of the match she believes Kabuto to be holding back on her. I believe that's why she wants to continue."

He looks at Shino in disbelief. "So you're saying she's doing this to get acknowledged or something?"

Shino shrugs. "It's likely."

"Uh huh... well, I'll stick to thinking she has a few screws lose." Kiba trails off. *Arf*Arf* Grinning, Kiba pats Akumaru. "See. Akamaru agrees with me." This earns Kiba a bland look from Shino.

Clasping her hands together, Hinata turns her gaze to Naruto. 'Naruto-kun...' She trails off before glancing back over to Riku. 'Riku-san... I envy you... you who is always by Naruto-kun's side whereas I can't even talk to him without stuttering. The two of you have always been hated... you especially for protecting him, but despite that, you were strong enough to stand by his side. I-I want to be strong like you... to be strong enough to protect Naruto-kun too.' She tightens her grip. 'I've always wanted to talk to you... to get to know the person behind those horrible rumors, but I always lose my nerve. I know you see me like he does - despite how invisible I appear at times - or you wouldn't have protected me that day either, so please... please wait a little longer for me to work up the nerve to talk to you... to thank you for that day.' She vows.

Drowning out the conversations around him, Naruto leans further against the railing with a frown. 'I still don't really understand you, do I?' He muses. 'You always go on about this light and shadow stuff, telling me I'm your light. I don't get it. Am I really that special to you... special enough that you're willing to throw away your own dreams?' He shakes his head. 'I don't know what's going through your head anymore... when did you change?'

Ever since they met, he could never fully understand him, er her. Riku was always there for him to a point where it was only natural to have her around (though at the time, he thought Riku was a guy). She was always so strong, but he could tell she was hurting. He knew she hated herself, especially after that incident several years ago. She had lost control; she nearly killed those students, those chunin even– all for him. He never understood why she went so far for him – why she stuck around when no one else would. She was all he had other than Iruka-sensei. No one could replace her, but looking back, he realizes how little he's shown her how much he's cared for her. He was just so used to her being there that he never really noticed how … empty it was without her. That moment in the forest before the exam… that scared him. He's never seen her that vulnerable before… ok, he has in the past, but not to that extent. The girl he saw that day needed him just as much as he needed her. It was… nice, but scary. After that incident in the Forest of Death, he realized how little he knew of her now – her doubts, her fears, her condition. Was she losing herself like she did in the past? He could tell she was hiding something from him, but what was it? Why was she hiding things from him again? What was he even supposed to do?

"When did you change Riku…" Naruto breathes out as he gazes down at the girl. 'Who are you exactly…which side of you is real?'

At the same time, Shikamaru ignores the comments flying over his head, looking for any signs of his earlier suspicions only to find none. Breathing a sigh of relief, he knits his brows in concentration as he tries to figure out why she wanted to prolong the fight.

'What's going on in that head of yours…?' He continues to gaze down at her and notices her seal slightly glowing. A slight frown appears on his face, but stores that little incident for later, knowing he would have to find a convenient time to confront her about it later. As he continues to gaze down at her, he notices a distinct difference in her expression. It didn't hold the usual weariness; it looked as though she was... free?

"That girl…" Shikamaru murmurs as he scratches the back of his head. "She's still troublesome…."

'But I don't think I mind…' He thought with a small smile. 'You're moving forward…'

As Shikamaru continues to gaze down at the girl, he fails to notice the eye smile sent his way.

'Ah… young love…' Kakashi shifts his attention back to Riku and notices a flash in her eyes. "So that's it…" He mutters.

"Did you say something Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asks, still somewhat distracted by his own thoughts.

Kakashi smiles in response. "Just watch Naruto." He advises before a conflicted look enters his face. 'She's just like her mother...' He closes his eyes. 'That same defiance.'

**{~}**

~Meanwhile~

(On the other side of the stands)

"Tch. She's too soft." Kankuro spat. "Just like all girls."

Temari sends him a scathing glare. "What do you mean 'just like all girls' Kankuro?"

Kankuro gazes absently at his sister before muttering, "Look, I'm not saying she's weak, especially after what we saw in the last exam, but think about it. If she could do all that without flinching then, what's stopping her now?" He casts a glance over to Naruto and Sakura, recognizing them from their first meeting. "Must be some sentimental crap over those friends of hers." He answers himself. "Guess she doesn't want to show that side of her to them or something... I guess that's good and all for those pansies, but in a real battle that's going to cost her. If he opponent wanted to, he could have killed her just now."

"Shut up." Gaara growls.

Temari and Kankuro freeze at the dark edge in his voice before slowly turning to meet Gaara's glare.

"G-gaara?" Temari stutters out.

His glare intensifies until both of his siblings quickly apologize for their comments before he resumes his gaze to Riku. He had no idea why he snapped at Kankuro when he mentioned that girls' death. Was it because he cared for her? No. He lost the meaning to that word many years ago. It was because he was the one who wanted to kill her: to watch her blood flowing out of her body before her heart finally stops. That was what she was to him, another victim. Yet, why is he so intrigued by her? She was just prey, but her actions were …different. They confused him to no end.

Gaara furrows his brows in concentration as he continues to watch the girl below. Why did she seem different? Everything about her was the same, yet it seemed he was watching another person. Her mask seemed to have disappeared and her emotions were clearly written on her face. She wanted to prove something to everyone, yet she still retains the sorrow etched into her eyes. An unusual combination…

'Exactly who are you Amarante Riku? What are you trying to prove?'

During the match, he noticed her desire to be acknowledged. The look on her eyes…it was the same as his several years ago… If she was trying to prove her existence, why not kill others? Why was she so set on protecting others when they wouldn't even acknowledge her existence? She was nothing more than a fool… only a fool could hope to achieve what she sought out. Yet here she was…fighting for her beliefs…

'This prey is an interesting toy… What will you show me next…. before I lose interest and kill you myself…'

In the midst of his own thoughts, he fails to notice a small crack forming on the gem currently in his possession.

**{~}**

-Back to the fight-

'This... doesn't make any sense, but I can't say this isn't a surprise. I think it would be more surprising if she doesn't surprise me.' Kabuto muses before scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I think I misheard you... what did you say?"

Riku glances at him blandly. "You heard me. This is not over yet. Fight me; fight me like you want to kill me."

'And this is where I need to convince her to let me forfeit... I can't believe this is the hardest part of the match.' He thought in disbelief. 'I guess I can see why Orochimaru-sama is so interested in her.'

Playing the part of a confused teen, he asks, "What are you talking about? I've been fighting you this whole time, but I can't do this anymore." He makes a move to raise his hand.

"Ah, there you go again." Riku sends a water whip to hold down his hand. "Holding back once again. It's starting to tick me off." She mutters darkly, tightening her hold on his wrist.

'Still stubborn huh?' He muses before sending her an apologetic glance. "I'm not looking down on you. I'm sorry if I upset you. That was never my intention."

Riku sends him a look of disbelief. "Then why give up?"

He smiles sadly. "To put it simply, you were just too much for me and I never could hear from my left ear since the beginning of the exam. That's why I give up. You win." He explains before furrowing his brows. "As for your dream, I say be a little more selfish. You don't have to fixate on one light. I don't think you even need one."

Shaking her head, Riku lets out a small chuckle. "If you say so. Either way, nothing will really change. As long as things play out the way I want, I don't mind being a so-called fool." She trails off, noticing the look of disbelief sent her way. "When we meet again, don't hold back on me. We'll see then who's belief is stronger. This is far from over." She finishes before returning the water to her gourd.

"The winner of this match is Amarante Riku."

Kabuto begins walking away but not before muttering, "You're right. This is far from over." He shifts his glasses higher up his nose, allowing the lights to reflect off the lenses. "Yes, this is just the beginning…my friend." He continues to walk away as a smirk adorns his face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So how was the chapter? It was difficult to figure out how the guys thought of Riku's actions, but I think it went well. I wonder how Riku's going to react to the other matches. Naruto's going to approach her soon with his thoughts. I wonder how this is going to affect their trip to the Amarante clan's compound. What will she find there? Who will she fight in the third exam? I'm leaning more towards Temari for reasons that will be seen in the next chapter. Riku's birthday is going to come up sometime later in this story. If you have any ideas you want to throw at me, you're welcomed to and I'll take them into consideration when I write the upcoming chapters. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait and I can't wait to hear from you.<strong>

**Until next time…**

**Ja ne.~**

_(Edited 8/17/14) Changes made: Some of the dialogue was changed and more character thoughts have been added to the chapter, especially Kabuto's._


	14. Chapter 14: Wheels of Fate

-Chapter 14: The Wheels of Fate are Turning-

**AN: I know it's been a while since I have posted, but schoolwork has been getting in the way. I'm really sorry about this, but hopefully I will be able to update at least once a month. After college applications are over, the updates will be a lot faster. I'm glad there are people who still read and favorite this story. It means a lot to me. Also, thanks for the reviews. (^.^) It helps me keep the story in perspective to my readers.**

**Tenshin-no-Tsubasa****: Thanks for keeping up with my story and giving me feedback for the ideas I posted up on my profile. For the review, I am glad you managed to finish reading the story after all the interruptions that day. Shikamaru and Riku get a small scene in this chapter, but this chapter is mostly going to be about Riku and Naruto fixing their relationship. They clear some things up, but Riku still leaves out one important topic that will cause a lot of problems later on. Gaara's scene was minor in here. Sorry about that, but there will be more scenes with him later on. I might make him into a slight stalker, but that is slightly needed to make it fit into the story. More is revealed about Itachi, but not much Riku can go on. For her birthday chapter, I'm making he birthday on the day after the Hokage's funeral so it can intercept with Itachi's visit to the village. Now on to the feedback on the profile: For the summon, I'll probably give her one in the next arc. Minori's nature is revealed in this chapter, but there are still some questions about her origin. Some of those questions will be answered in the later chapter(s). For Shikamaru's scene, it's going to be focused on their relationship and seeing where they stand at the moment. Some drama is going to come up because of Gaara and Sasuke. But it was bound to happen, seeing as how Shikamaru has been putting up with Sasuke for a while now and Gaara is just walking problem at this point in the story. The dialogue for "A New Game" could apply to several people. I'm leaving it open-ended for a reason, since it's more interesting like that and I just want to make people guess. :P But I will give you a hint to one of the possible situations I was planning: It could apply to Shikamaru and Gaara. Continuing on, I probably won't make Riku get locked away. When Sasuke leaves the village, Riku will end up meeting Gaara when she escapes the hospital against Tsunade's orders. After Naruto leaves the village, Riku's going to ask Tsunade for permission to leave as well in order to train. At this point, I'm planning to give Riku some knowledge of Itachi's past, but not all of it. Her memories will contradict each other and due to that, she wants to go out of the village to find answers and grow stronger. Her first training area will probably be the Hidden Village of the Sand, since she needs to work on surviving in the worst possible environments for her water bending. Her control over lightning is still unstable at this point, so she's going to have to use that instead of her water bending. I also want to make her an ambassador of sorts for the Village Hidden in the Sand, since it could give her an excuse to train there for a while. Hopefully that answered some questions.**

**xogaaraxo****: Thanks for reading this story. I hope how you like how this chapter turns out and there will be some more Gaara scenes in the later chapters.**

**Animelover1754****: First off, thanks for reading the story. (^.^) There will be some stuff implied in this chapter for what will happen to Riku later on. More is explained about her past in this chapter and she's going to be remembering some key details. Hopefully this chapter answers some of your questions as well as keep you guess for what's to come.**

***Hope that answers your questions/comments. Now on to the story. (^.^)**

_*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 2) Going to post up rewrites then will proceed with the story. More information is given at the bottom of this chapter._

**{~}**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

'_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p>'<em>Never explain yourself to anyone. Because the person who likes you doesn't need it, and the person who dislikes you won't believe it.'<em>

_~Unkown_

'_**Why keep something from me when I have a right to know? Why protect someone you hold dear? It's irrational but logical. Wouldn't you do the same for someone you care about? The answer is simple is it not?'**_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

* * *

><p>-Examination floor-<p>

**(First person perspective)**

"The winner of this match *cough* cough* is Amarante Riku." Hayate announces.

Murmurs and cheers could be heard from the stands, but I can't make out any of the words. All the voices continue to mesh together, encasing me in a blurred film. As I run my hand along the side of my neck, the pain of the seal begins to lessen until it envelopes my body in a calming warmth.

'_Don't try to be something you're not. I won't be afraid of you. Only fools would fear what they don't understand… '_

Those words slowly play into my mind, but whose were they? Did I know that person? His voice sounds so familiar.

'_Please forgive me for …'_

_*crack*_

A dull pain seeps into my mind, but I strain to hear the voice.

'_You were never supposed to be… '_

_*crack*_

'_I will…'_

_*crack*_

'_You are…. Demon of…'_

*crack*

'_You will…. find… me… after…'_

*crack*

I stare blankly ahead before feeling something wet trailing down my face. Hesitantly, I run my fingers down my cheeks, coating my hands with the tears. The voice finally fades, leaving me again in the torrent of meshing noises. I look down. Why was I crying? Did my body remember something my mind couldn't? What did those messages, those lingering fragments mean?

I grit my teeth, feeling some unexplainable heaviness settling in my chest. 'Who are you to me… why am I …'

"Riku!" My eyes widen at the voice – clear and distinct in the throng of murmurs.

I snap my gaze to the source to see Naruto jumping up and down from excitement, but his posture suddenly turns rigid as he notices the tears trailing down my face.

'Crap.'

I quickly wipe away the stray tears and make my way up to the stands to find Shika and Naruto waiting for me and looked strangely … opposite? I'm not entirely sure to how explain this sight. Naruto's normal care-free smile is replaced with a murderous glare whereas anger overtakes Shika's normally disinterested look.

*sweat drop*

I give them a half-hearted wave. "Uhh… hi? What did I miss?" I ask hesitantly before taking a small step back.

"Riku…" Naruto trails off before appearing right in front of my face. Growling low in his throat, he places his hands on my shoulders. "What did that teme say to you to make you cry?"

I stare blankly ahead before lightly hitting his forehead with the back of my knuckles. "What are you going on about now? He didn't say anything. I just…" I trail off as I look to the side. "I feel sad for some reason… I don't know why."

His face softens before a grin appears on his face. "Oi." He wraps an arm over my shoulder, sending his chakra out to grab mine. "You just won your match. Don't sulk. You'll just be like Sasuke-teme at this rate." He jokes. I release a small smile at the comforting gesture before pushing him off and breaking the connection.

"Ne none of that. Save it for when you see him in the finals alright?" I answer with a smile of my own. He sends me a nod before glancing over to Sakura. Conflict enters his eyes, causing me to shake my head.

"Just go lover boy." I tease before kicking him over towards Sakura. He rubs his back before sending me a half-hearted glare as he walks towards our pink-haired teammate. I smile sadly as I observe the two talking to one another and having some semblance of a good conversation if the laughs are good to go by.

'That's right... as long as you're happy, nothing else matters. I can only be so close to you after all.' I lower my gaze to the ground, feeling the painful tightening in my chest increase as though to remind me of my deterioration. 'I don't really have much time left if this is anything to go by.' I swallow the small lump forming in my throat before eyeing a nervous Hinata shyly watching the two. I smile softly at her, noticing in amusement her flushed face when her gaze matches mine. 'That's right... you won't be alone, Naru. Hinata will be beside you as well. She truly cares for you from the bottom of her heart.' I muse. 'If there's anyone I can choose to be beside you, it would be her. She's just like you... a light.'

"You really care about him, don't you?" Shika asks as he stands next to me. I glance over at him with a sad smile before nodding.

"That obvious?"

He rubs the back of his head. "Pretty much." He answers before lowering his hand to his side. "Would you really give up everything for him? I heard what you said about being just a shield. You're too smart to believe that crap right?"

I match his gaze evenly. "Then call me a fool. I'm willing to do anything it takes to make him happy. I would do anything to protect those I hold dear as well. My life is... of no consequence." I finish, feeling a bitterness enter my mouth.

He stares back at me evenly before releasing a tired sigh. "Troublesome woman." He murmurs before rubbing the back of his neck. "How selfish can you get?"

I stare back at him in confusion.

"Did Naruto's idiocy rub off on you?" Shika slightly jokes, but the laughter doesn't reach his eyes. He was serious. "Do you think your friends want to see you dead? Do you think I want to see you hurt… to see you put yourself out there like a shield? To see you die before me so I can keep living? How heartless can you get, Riku?" He releases a dry laugh. "I don't want to see that… I don't want to see you die in front of me…" His voice trails off.

I feel my shoulders sag slightly at his admission before I let out a deep sigh. "I know…" I trail off as I place a hand on his shoulder, feeling him stiffen at the contact. "No one wants to see a friend die... that was why I never wanted to get close to anyone ever again, but," I trail off before letting out a dry laugh, " it looks like that plan's a bust now; still, that's just how life is. We all die... so why not die to protect someone else?" I ask softly. "Besides, many would be happy at the death of the cursed demon, wouldn't they?" I add sardonically.

"I wouldn't."

I snap my gaze to his before feeling his hand rest over mine. "Shika?"

He looks away. "So don't..."

He doesn't finish. A round of coughs rack my body, stopping him. Pulling away, I stagger back, muffling the noise between my hands. I glance up at him through tear-filled eyes as the coughs become harsher and harsher. I can't stop. The budding tears blur my vision as I glance down to see the distinct sparking, black-speckled blood coating my hands.

'No… not now. They can't know. They can't…' I rummage through my pouch before shakily pulling out the vial containing the white liquid. As I move the cap, my nerves suddenly freeze. My limbs then slacken, sending me careening towards the floor. I see Shika's horrified face then nothing.

**{~}**

(**Third person perspective)**

Before Riku's body hits the ground, Shikamaru catches her. The vial falls out of her grasps and clatters to the floor, rolling in an arc before stopping at his foot.

"Riku! Oi!" He calls out desperately.

No response comes from the girl. He quickly lowers her body to the ground before searching for any obvious injuries. Sounds of footsteps could be heard behind him, but he chooses to ignore them for the moment. His eyes land on the blood-coated hands, the blood trailing from her mouth, the growing blood stain forming on her chest.

"You…baka…" He growls out as he clenches his fists. '...I just had to be right...so this is the cost for that jutsu?'

He glances at his feet to see the vial Riku desperately searched for before passing out. He picks it up, ignoring the blood coating its surface and places it in his pocket before stepping away as the medic nins rush toward her. 'Whatever is happening to you... it can't be just the jutsu...' He rationalizing, recalling the lightning crackling along her blood. 'You're hiding something else... stubborn baka. You always give me all sorts of trouble... don't you?' His expression falls as he watches her breathing grow shallower, more pained with each passing breath.

Some make a move to place her on the stretcher only to have Naruto swing at them. They all back away as Naruto takes a protective stance over the collapsed girl.

"Get out of the way!" One of the medic nins exclaim, clearly annoyed by Naruto's interference.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru yells as he makes a move to pull the blonde-haired ninja away.

"I'm not letting you take her! You're just going to try to kill her again!" Naruto growls out. The outburst stops Shikamaru in his tracks as he recalls the many incidents in the hospital.

'Even so… what can we do? Only the medics can help her… even if they have tried to kill her in the past.' Shikamaru clenches his teeth in annoyance. 'There's no other option.'

Some of the medic nins glare at him before making another move towards Riku. Naruto tries to lash out at them, but before he can take another step, Kakashi and Shikamaru restrain him.

"Oi! Let me go! They're going to kill her!" Naruto yells as he struggles against their grip.

"Naruto! Calm down. They're the only ones who can help her now. If you don't let them take her, she'll die." Kakashi warns.

"You're wrong! They… they're just going to try to kill her like last time! They won't help her!" Naruto growls out. "You should know this Shikamaru! Why are you stopping me?! Don't you care about her at all?!"

"Baka." Shikamaru growls out as he tightens his hold on Naruto. "Of course I know, but what choice do we have? You want her to bleed to death in front of us?"

"No, I - Riku! Wake up damn it! Don't you dare leave me, you hear! Wake up!" Naruto yells out frantically as the medic nins carry her out of sight. Finding it now hopeless, Naruto slumps down on the ground as Kakashi and Shikamaru release their hold on him.

"Damn it!" He slams his fist against the ground before hunching forward. 'Riku... please... be ok. You can't disappear again. You can't... leave me again...'

Hinata gazes at Naruto sadly. 'Naruto-kun... you really treasure her... don't you?' She flicks her gaze at the corridor where the medic nins disappeared to. 'Please be ok, Riku-san.'

Sakura sends Naruto a worried glance. "Naruto, what do you mean like last time?"

He lets out a bitter laugh. "All of them… all of the medic nins have always tried to kill her when she was at the hospital. I don't understand why, but they always did." He glares at the ground. "They never cared for either of us... they only wanted us dead. That was why Riku pushed herself to teach herself how to heal... for both of us. It was always just the two of us... no one else." He murmurs before a red tint coats his eyes. "It was the same with me… but I know why now. Her… she never did anything… it must have been my fault they targeted her too…and I can't protect her this time." He growls low in his throat before rounding on Kakashi. "Why did you let them take her Kakashi-sensei! If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive you, you hear me!" The red soon dominates his eyes, causing Kakashi to widen his visible eye.

He tenses at the sight. 'It's coming out now?' He thought in disbelief before furrowing his brows in confusion. '...and yet he's still himself... I see. As long as it's for her, you're still yourself.' He observes, filing away that detail for later.

Narrowing his eye, he gazes over to the room the medic nins disappeared into. "If she was still here, what could you do to help her? You don't know any medical jutsus."

"That's-" The red disappears from his eyes, turning back to their normal azure. Kakashi sends him an understanding glance.

"Don't worry. They won't kill her. I'll make sure of it." Kakashi adds darkly before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Ignoring the hushed whispers around him, Shikamaru stares at the remaining specks of blood coating the floor. 'You better pull through... troublesome woman.'

* * *

><p>-Mindscape-<p>

**(First person perspective)**

"_What happened?" I ask out loud. No answer. I let out a small chuckle. _'_Not like I was expecting one to begin with.'_

_I look around and find myself surrounded by snow and ice. 'Here again huh?' I muse before making my way through the seemingly endless tundra. It isn't long before I see Minori frozen in the ice. Hooking my thumbs in my pockets, I observe the chunk of ice, noticing the growing crack spreading across its surface as the black vines continue to writhe and crackle._

"_**Why are you here? Shouldn't you be awake?" **__Minori asks._

"_Ahh technically yes, but right now… I'm probably passed out in some bed from blood loss." I answer off-handedly._

_***sweatdrop***_

"_**Don't tell me you were stupid enough to use an ice clone?"**_

"_Now, that wasn't stupid. That was dangerously smart." I correct with a small smile. I can imagine her sending me a bland look at this point. _

"**_... I believe our definitions greatly differ then. *sigh* You do realize you would sustain the same injuries as the ice clone after a period of time, don't you?"_**

_I make a move to answer, but she cuts me off._

**_"That was rhetorical. Look, in your current condition, the added stress would have _**_**accelerated your** **deterioration."**_

_Nodding, I sit on a snow covered rock before bringing one of my knees to my chest. "I know, but I wanted to see if my hunch was right." _

"_**Which was?" **She asks dryly._

_My smile widens. _"_If I was really housing a demon." I answer simply before allowing a frown to enter my face. "I can't believe I was fooled this long…" I slightly grumble in the end. _

"_**So you know."**_

_That wasn't a question; it was a fact that needed to be clarified. Minori already knew the answer._

"_Yes."_

"_**What are you going to do about it?"**_

_I let out a hum. _"_The same thing I was planning to do."_

"_**Is that a wise choice? What will your friends think?"**_

_"Ah, to be honest, I don't know." I grip my chest. "The deterioration is still going on. I know I'm living on limited time… But isn't it exciting to do something like this once in a while? To throw caution to the wind and see how things play out." I ask with an easy-going smile._

"… _**You're not one to throw caution to the wind. What brought upon this carelessness?"**_

"_Carelessness….no." I shake my head. "I just want …" I trail off._

_I didn't even have to finish that sentence. Minori already knew what I was implying._

"_**Don't let yourself be consumed by yourself."**_

"_Easier said than done. After all," I glance up at her with a smile. "You're the one consuming me as I fight off this deterioration."_

"_**Hm you sure catch on quick." **__Minori states sarcastically._

"_Thanks. I get that from you." I state with a smile as I eye the ice. As our conversation was going on, the crack had gotten slightly longer. I hear Minori growling in the background, causing a smile to enter my face. _

_"You're going to be set free soon." I mutter out. Once she was free, she would fight for dominance. If I lost to her and the deterioration from my element, I would lose. I would die and she would move onto a new host (if the conditions are met). It was the inevitable. But there was also another option, a loophole for both of our survival. _

"_**Why so calm?"**_

_I tilt my head to the side as I watch her frozen form._ "_Technically you're already a part of me, so you can't get out, but I suppose I just don't mind at this point. I don't mind sharing this body with you and I guess I understand where you're coming from… after all you are the demon of solitude… the untouchable queen some say."_

"_**That doesn't change the fact that I can take over your body."**_

"_I never said that you couldn't." I shrug. "But from what I know of you, you're not like the other demons. You base your actions more on logic rather than raw emotion; however, due to that, emotions can cause you to go out of control. Still, you actually care about me to a point where you wouldn't do anything to hurt me."_

"_**Don't just assume that about me. I was trapped in your clan and I had no other choice but to submit."**_

"_Trapped huh? Guess we're the same after all." I comment, recalling my time with ROOT. "Doesn't really matter though. We're ultimately one and the same. Your pain is mine. Your sin is mine. Just like how my feelings are yours and so is my body. That is, if you're truly a demon manifested from my mind." I add with a chuckle. _

_I can hear amused cackles in the background._ "_**You really are your mother's child, but just like your mother, you are fated to meet an early death."**_

_I laugh as well. "I think that falls into the job description of all ninja regardless. It just seems like it applies more so to me than anyone else." I answer with a smile before forming an ice kunai in my hand. "This deterioration… it's made things more complicated." I murmur sadly as I play with the kunai in my hand. "I think I understand why you're the demon of solitude." I finally add after a deafening moment of silence. _

"_**Have you now?"**_

_I nod. "Being alone, detaching yourself from others, not forming bonds – it's such a simple way to live. Everything that happens to you no longer affects you. No one can be used as leverage over you. All you have is yourself; no one could ever hurt you… betray you… abandon you…" I trail off, feeling a heaviness settling in the area. "You do as you please. It's …amazing. But…"_

"..._**But what?"**_

_I close my eyes. "What reason do you have for living then? What's the point to keep going?" _

_Silence. _

"_**A promise." **_

_I glance up at her frozen form. "A promise?" _

"_**A curse. A promise. The distinction between the two no longer exists for me. I exist because of my past will. That is all."**_

_'Past will huh? Another hint.' I muse before tilting my head to the side in confusion. "You don't make much sense." I fiddle with the kunai in my hand before gazing at my reflection. "Still, even you have a reason to keep living. So how pathetic will I be if I just keeled over and died right now?" I joke before tossing the kunai in front of the ice._

_Minori's chuckles reverberate in the area. __**"How insightful."**__ She mocks, __**"Let us make life more interesting shall we? Are you really fit to be my vessel?"**_

_'So you're not a facet of my mind... you were placed here.' My smile widens at the hint. "You wouldn't be trapped here if I weren't." I answer smugly, only to receive a growl in response. _

"_**Heh. So confident… Then fight me. Fight my will. Don't let me take over… or all you will see is destruction. What expression will you have then when you see the ones you care about dead at your feet? It must be a magnificent sight." **__She purrs._

_I close my eyes at her goads. "So your true colors finally come out." I mutter. "Not surprising. We all hold different facets of a personality." I open my eyes and glance at the ice kunai. Half of the kunai holds my reflection while a darkened form with a crimson eye resides on the other half. "I don't mind destruction. You can take over, but…" I see the crimson eye slightly widening in surprise. "I will stop you before you go too far." _

_A growl resounds in the area. _

"_**Then reign me in, mistress. That is, if you can." **__She mocks before the surface of the ice reforms itself until it was flawless. __**"I give you three chances. Mess up and I will devour you. Do you still wish to play this game with me?"**_

_I smile back sadly. "I'd love to." With that, my surroundings slowly fade to black, but not before hearing: _

"_**She has no idea what misfortune will befall her. She really is just like her mother - a misguided fool who can change this world. How far will you go until you repeat my same mistakes once again?"**_

**{~}**

-Treatment room-

When I open my eyes, I meet the blinding light from the curtain less windows, causing me to slowly drape an arm over my eyes before cringing in pain from the small motion. I slowly bend the water from my gourd onto my body in an attempt to lessen some of it, but it does little to help. The deterioration isn't something I can simply treat; I didn't have the medical knowledge in order to slow down its course, let alone cure myself of it (if that is even possible through medicine). I struggle to sit up, noticing the bandages wrapped around my torso and neck. I glance around the room to see medical equipment surrounding me. I follow the wires before seeing them attached to my skin. No. I widen my eyes. I had to get out. I rip the wires off my skin, causing blood to drip out from the newly made wounds, causing the machines to sound beeps of protest while others flat lined. I didn't care. They would heal on their own soon enough. I strain to move away from the bed before tentatively placing my feet on the tile floors. When I place all my weight on my legs, they give out, but I never hit the ground; a pair of arms stop me face-planting onto the floor.

"I should have known." Kaka-sensei murmurs in my ear.

I turn to the voice to see him steadying me before lifting me into his arms bridal style.

"Kaka-sensei?" I ask hesitantly before noticing the worry lacing his face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I blink at him, causing him to release a sigh, "Why didn't you tell me you were going through deterioration?" He clarifies. I widen my eyes.

'How…' I glance over at the monitors. 'They found out…' I grip my knees as I try to avoid Kaka-sensei's penetrating gaze. 'The End… also known as deterioration is the fate of many possessing the lightning element. It's not definite that a wielder will go through it, but it's extremely likely. Anko gave me that medicine based on a hunch… looks like it's now verified.'

"Who else knows…" I murmur sadly.

"Riku…" He trails off.

"Who. Else. Knows." I repeat, adding an edge to my voice. 'They couldn't know… Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Shika, everyone… they can't know.'

I grip his vest before glancing up at him. "Don't tell the rest of team 7… they don't need to know. I can't have them worry about me." My voice becomes pleading. "All of them… they can't know. I don't want them to treat me like a cripple, like I'm an invalid who needs protecting. I'm not that type of person Kaka-sensei." I let out a hollow laugh. "I am just a shadow, trained and created by this village to use as a scapegoat when the time comes. I don't want to see that pity in their eyes if they knew… I'm tainted through and through. I've slaughtered so many in cold blood. I don't belong with them… they're naïve…still so innocent." I murmur before glancing down at my hands.

"Riku…" Kaka-sensei places me back on the bed before releasing a sigh. "Only the Hokage, Ibiki, Anko, and I know. No one else does."

I nod in reply, feeling relief flood my veins.

"But… Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura… they deserve to know. They are part of the team and teammates that abandon one another are nothing but trash." He recites as he strokes my hair in an attempt to calm me down. "They see you as one of their own. I see you as a part of my family. I…we won't let you go through this alone."

I let out a sad chuckle. "You don't get it… they can't… even if you say those nice things… I know I was never meant to be here. Isn't that was Danzo told you?" I rebuke, noticing the flash of anger flittering across his eye before it disappears. "I know why he told me to kill off my emotions… things were so much better without them. Ever since I got them back, I've always been hurting. I don't know what to do."

Kaka-sensei releases another sigh before rubbing the back of his head, clearly at a loss on how to approach the subject. Ever since I knew him, he never was one for the tear-jerking moments.

"I know it hurts." I glance up to see Kaka-sensei looking out the window. "I understand. It does seem like things will be easier if you killed off your emotions doesn't it? You won't have to feel suffering… you'll just feel nothing. I understand it perfectly… I felt that way when I lost Obito… then Rin… then your mother…then my sensei." He releases another sigh. "I was lost, but things went on. I found a new family; I found a way to be happy. Even if you don't understand your emotions, you should know that you've been happier now that you're joined this team. I've seen it. You've never looked livelier, happier, stronger."

I shake my head at him. "I'm back where I started… nothing's really changed."

He lets out a small chuckle. "I don't think so. When we found you, you were nothing short of a puppet – empty, emotionless, cruel, but now you're not." He rubs the top of my head affectionately. "Even if I left you that day... left you alone for all those years, I know you're different." He adds softly, probably still guilty for not explaining. I look off to the side, feeling I had no right to criticize him on abandonment. After all, isn't that what I'm planning to do in the end anyway - to be a scapegoat to ensure Naruto's future?

"Danzo doesn't have a hold on you anymore." He brings back. "You're not the first person to escape from him."

I gaze up at him in surprise, earning an eye smile in response.

"You're not alone. Not anymore. You have a new family you can rely on now." He finishes earnestly.

I give him a sad smile. "Even if I want to, there are times where I will have to walk down a path of no return for Naru. I will have to be a scapegoat eventually. I know the elders left me alone all this time for that reason alone. I'm not dense." His face darkens. "When that happens… I don't want the others to see me like this… I want them to remember me as their friend – the sarcastic, somewhat over-the-top, cross dresser."

His face saddens. "There's still the chance for you not to go down that road. We're doing everything to prevent that."

I nod in reply, but I know the ending has already been established for me by the elders. Even if I am a clan heir... if I'm deemed a danger, I will be killed off. I sometimes wonder if this is how my clan felt, knowing they were seen as demonic - dangerous, an enemy to their own comrades.

I shake my head. "The deterioration process won't stop unless I learn to control my element. If I don't, then I'll end up destroying this village. Someone will have to put me down then. I trust you to do that for me if it comes to that."

He doesn't say anything in response, but I knew he understood. That was how the other name for this condition came about. 'The End' meant death for those who could not overcome it. You would think a long established clan would have figured out how to prevent such an outcome, but it never did. That was why the lightning element was so rare; many who possessed it eventually lost it and went on a rampage. They had to be put down. They were a danger – to themselves, to their loved ones, to the village. But to those who could overcome it, they were granted a power that could easily take away his or her life as well as a certain...madness.

Pushing away those thoughts, I ask, "Are all the matches done?"

"They're probably on their last one." He murmurs distractedly, still absently stroking my hair.

I let out a disappointed sigh. "Looks like I missed Naruto's then?"

"I'm afraid so." He sends me a reassuring glance. "Don't worry. You'll be able to see him in the finals."

I nod in acceptance. "Do you think I could see the last match then?"

"I don't think you're in any condition to…" He trials off as he gazes down at me evenly.

"I promise I'll behave."

"I doubt that." He deadpans before running a hand through his hair, "But sure…"

He glances down at me hesitantly before lifting me into his arms. Within seconds, we reappear at the stands via jutsu.

"Yo." Kaka-sensei and I state in sync, though the attempt is half-hearted.

Some glance our way while others keep watching the match. Naruto, Sakura, Shika, and surprisingly Ino rush over. Naruto roughly hugs me, causing me to wince in pain. In response, Sakura pulls Naruto off and chastises him before hitting him over the head for his carelessness. At the same time, Shika watches me from the side with a sad smile whereas Ino congratulates me for making it to the finals.

I can tell Kaka-sensei didn't enjoy having several teenagers swarming around him, seeing as he placed me on the railing. Before he left, he sends me a reassuring smile before heading towards the Hokage.

"You had us worried back there." I turn to my left to see Sakura sending me a small smile.

I smile back sheepishly. "Gomen ne. I went a little overboard on that match. I didn't mean to make anyone worried."

"As long as you're alright now." Sakura responds. I slightly nod in reply, sending her a fake smile.

"Hey, should you really be out here right now? You lost a lot of blood from the looks of it. You look really pale…" Ino trails off uncertainly. "And you call that 'alright' Sakura? I didn't take you for being blind." Ino scoffs, riling up Sakura.

"Ino's right. You look pale." Shika adds before a calculating look enters his face. His eyebrows furrow in thought, but he merely shakes his head.

"It's nothing." I wave off easily.

Naruto finishes rubbing the back of his head before making his way over to me.

"I'm glad you're alright Riku. I didn't hurt you when I hugged you right?"

I shake my head at him, causing him to breathe out a sigh of relief.

"You should have heard him Riku. He was pleading and begging you not to leave him when the medics took you away." Ino quips, causing Naruto's face to redden.

"Oi!"

"Yeah… he seemed really worried about you." Sakura adds.

"S-Sakura-chan."

I let out a laugh, causing them to snap their gazes to me.

"Gomen ne… just your face…" I let out a few more laughs. "I've never seen that expression on you Naru-kun. It's cute." As the words leave my lips, his face reddens even more.

"Oi! I'm not cute!" He growls out, only to smile at the end.

I wave him off before glancing down to the two combatants below us. "So it's Lee and Gaara?"

"Yeah… this is the last match… I don't think Lee has much of a chance…" Ino murmurs as she watches Lee evade the sand attacks. "His opponent doesn't look tired at all…"

"I see…" I murmur before turning myself around on the railing to watch the match. To put it simply, it didn't seem that the odds were in Lee's favor, but things are never what they seem.

"Fourth gate: the wound gate."

Lee's body takes on a red tint before his speed abnormally increases, allowing him to send Gaara careening towards the ground. A cloud of dust covers the battleground when Gaara crashes into the ground with a resounding crack.

'Something doesn't seem right…' I feel Minori stirring in the back of my mind before her presence disappears. 'Even Minori is affected by this…' I place a hand on my chest. 'I can't use it too long… just a peak. Bikoume.'

A scene of Gaara crushing Lee's arm and leg flashes through my eyes before I deactivate my eyes.

'That can't be… he wouldn't would he…?' I lower my hands to my sides.

Lee's cries of pain fill the room, causing me to snap my gaze to the fight below. The sand encasing Lee's limbs tighten their hold before Gaara clenches his fist. Terrible bone-snapping cracks fill the room before Lee's body crashes backward. Gaara doesn't recall his sand. It continues to grow around him, taking on a predatory stance over Lee.

'He's not stopping…Lee.' I clench my teeth, knowing I'm going to get an earful for this later. 'But that doesn't matter.' Water wraps around my form in a caressing hold before dispersing in the air.

"Riku?"

I ignore Sakura's call, holding my hand towards the fight before me.

"Ice guard." At my command, a wall of ice shards erupt from the ground – blocking most of the incoming attack whereas a blur of green disperses the rest of the sand. Seeing as the ice wall is no longer needed, it trembles for a moment before dispersing into raining ice shards.

Gaara stares at the raining ice before turning his gaze to me. "Why… why did you help him?"

I match his gaze blankly, wondering why he's asking.

Before I can respond, Gai-sensei answers, "He's an important subordinate that I love."

Gaara doesn't respond as he continues to lock gazes with me. He wants my answer.

I close my eyes. "He's a friend. He saved me before when it wasn't his job to." I whisper before locking eyes with him once again. "I fight to protect the people I care about. Isn't it the same for you?" Even though I spoke the words softly, he somehow heard. His eyes slightly widen at my words before he shakes his head. Gripping his head, he walks away from Lee and Gai-sensei.

"I care only for myself." He answers without turning back. Even though he didn't direct that statement to anyone, I knew he said them to me.

"Lee you shouldn't stand. It's over."

I switch my gaze back to Lee to see him staggering up, head bowed despite the crushed and bleeding limbs.

'He still wants to fight… despite everything…' I thought sadly. 'Lee… you're…'

"He's unconscious." Sakura mutters in disbelief.

"I can't believe he still wants to fight…" Ino adds. "Lee…"

Tears escape Gai-sensei eyes before he embraces Lee's unconscious body before slowly lowering him to the ground. At that moment, a line of medic nin rush into the room and place Lee on a stretcher. Gaara ignores them all, making his way back to the stands but not before casting me another glance.

"I thought you weren't going to cause any trouble."

I turn my gaze to my right to see Kaka-sensei leaning casually on the rail with his prized book in hand.

"And let a comrade die in front of me?" I ask wryly. "Gomen ne, but I'm not worthless trash."

His eye softens before he lets out a small chuckle. "That you aren't." Lowering his book, he releases a sigh. "You need to go back to the treatment room. Hokage's orders." He finishes before snapping his book closed.

I give him a careless shrug. "Ah."

* * *

><p>-Time skip-<p>

-Mindscape-

"_I only care for myself. That's why I don't get hurt. Why do you insist on being a shield when you only end up like this?"_

"_Stop this. This was never you."_

"_How am I supposed to help when you won't let me in?" _Shika…

"_Who are you? I feel like I don't even know you anymore." _Naruto…

"_You promised to protect me, but it was all a lie wasn't it?"_

"_You will submit. I will make you obey me!" _Danzo…

"_You should depend on others once in a while." _Kaka-sensei…

Why am I remembering this now? Who am I supposed to protect… what was that voice..? Stop what? Who said that? I don't remember… did that even happen? Or is it just a false memory?

"_Wake up. Don't let yourself lead you astray."_

Who? I..t..a..

"_Wake up!"_

**{~}**

-Hospital room-

"Oi Riku wake up!"

I slowly crack open my eyes to see Naruto's face dangerously close to mine. I did the only logical thing I can think of at the time.

"Gah!" I yell out frantically before rolling off the other side of the bed.

*crash*

Peeking over the bed, Naruto sends me a deceptively innocent look. "Oi what did you do that for Riku?"

I send him an annoyed glance. "Like you didn't know." I mutter, rubbing the back of my head.

"Oh yeah I was supposed to tell you that you're going to be fighting that Dosu creep from the Sound Village in the final matches one month for now. Aren't you excited? I'm going to fight Neji." He explains as he helps me up to my feet.

'Dosu huh...' I tighten my grip against the sheets before trailing over to the closet to get my clothes. 'I won't forgive him for what he did...' I vow as I recall Sakura's desperate cries and pleas. Naruto continues to talk about how he plans on teaching Neji a lesson, not noticing my darkening expression.

I slip off the baggy t-shirt, leaving me only in my meager chest bindings and black shorts. Gazing at the ground, I try to recall the voices before concentrating on the name. Ita-something.

'Ugh. I was so close to remembering the name... why did Naruto have to wake up then? Couldn't he have waited a couple more seconds?' I internally gripe, clenching the wooden door tighter and feeling it slowly splinter under my grip. Sighing, I lower my hand to my side before noticing the eerie silence in the room.

Turning, I see Naruto staring at me mouth agape. I quirk a brow when his face flushes a bright red before he covers his eyes and offers a stuttering jumble of words

I send him a bland look. 'What's with him?' Walking forward, I toss my midriff off over my shoulder before plucking his hands away from his eyes. "Ah, why are you getting so flustered for? You've seen me like this before right?" I ask smugly, earning more incoherent stutters. "Geez, relax, Naru." I joke, pulling away and flicking his forehead, more so forehead protector, lightly. "You were so willing to feel me up in the Land of Waves and now you're blushing at a flat-chested girl standing right in front of you." I tease.

"O-oi Riku! C-cut it out already." He lets out a groan. "Can't you just let that go?" He rubs his face in embarrassment before peeking up at me with a faint blush.

"Ah, consider it payback for waking me up." I answer simply before turning and slipping on the midriff. Reaching into the closet, I pull out my sandals, slipping them on before grabbing my tank top.

"Ne Riku... that genjutsu on your back... I never really noticed it until now, but why do you have it?" I still for a moment before smiling sadly.

"If you're so curious, dispel it and find out."

"Eh?" He pauses for a moment before muttering "kai". "Huh it's still there?"

'Not strong enough huh...'

Breathing out a sigh of relief, I put on my top before slipping on my sleeveless vest. Gathering my hair, I tie them up into their usual pigtails before turning to Naruto with an amused smile. "Looks like you won't know then." I tease, earning a pout in response.

"You know I'm bad with genjutsu." He grumbles before a smile enters his face. "But I'll dispel it one of these days." He promises as he brings his arms behind his head. "Ne ne we need to start training as soon as possible. You get to leave the hospital today. Isn't that great?" Naruto states with a large grin, but the smile felt forced.

I scoff lightly. 'You're still easy to read…'

I release a sigh. "Just come out with it." He looks at me with wide eyes before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"W..what are you talking about?" He stutters out.

I give him a deadpan look.

"Just spit it out. It's really bothering you right? I can see it all over your face."

I see Naruto gulping nervously before rubbing the back of his head once again – another nervous habit of his.

"During your fight… what happened back there?" I furrow my brows in thought. "Everything you said… you don't really mean that right? You wouldn't really throw everything away … right?"

I close my eyes. He already knew the answer.

"I can't believe you!" I feel him roughly grabbing my shoulders. "How much of a baka are you? Do you think I want you to throw yourself away like a tool? That's not how friends treat one another… Riku…" His voice trembles. "You're not just a tool… so don't. We promised each other that no matter what happens, we'll be there for each other right – that we'll do everything we can for each other?"

I gently place my hands on his shoulders. "I know… that's why I'm doing everything I can for you. Even if you hate me, despise me, want to kill me, I'll do anything for you. That's what I decided."

He stops trembling and looks up to me. A serious expression overtakes his face as his azure eyes match my silver ones. "But what of your feelings Riku?"

My expression blanks. "It never mattered before, so why should it now?" I recite robotically before scoffing. "Was that the answer you wanted to hear?" I shake my head. "I want to say that, but that's not how I feel. The reason I'm so willing to do anything for you… is because I really do care about you. I don't want to see you hurt… to see you suffering like I did when we first met. You were the only person I remembered…you were my only friend." I let out a hollow laugh. "It was always just the two of us..."

"Riku…" Naruto trails off. "I understand… but why do I get the feeling that you're still hiding something from me?"

I return his gaze evenly. 'Because I am…but I'll let you in… if only for a moment.'

"Because I am…" I admit, "but you deserve to know… starting with the demon I'm housing…"

From there, I reveal to him Minori's existence – how it was because of her that I had my moments of 'tantrums,' how it was because of her that I was labeled as an outsider to my own clan. As I continue to reveal more and more about Minori, something appears to click in his head, but I can't be sure. I indulge him in my clan's past, my memories, almost everything… everything but the deterioration. He didn't need to know that. All the while, he sat there and listened intently, not something I would believe if I wasn't there in the first place. After I finish revealing everything, he envelopes me in a hug.

"Baka." He murmurs as he rests his chin on my shoulder. "You should have just said something. You've been hurting… I can tell." I freeze. "You're scared… but you won't admit huh?" I can hear the smugness in his voice, causing my eye to twitch slightly in annoyance. "But, I understand. I won't let you go through this alone. We've always been together since the beginning right? Just the two of us." A bitter laugh escapes his lips. "I'll protect you too… so don't push me away. Don't disappear again..."

"Naru..." I let out a small laugh before pulling away slightly. "You really are a one-of-a-kind guy Naru." I mutter as I softly tug on his hair. "Arigato." His face reddens, causing a smirk to appear on my face.

"You know, you look cute when you're flustered." I tease with a wink. Before he can respond, I make a run to the lobby, hearing the cries of disapproval from Naruto not far behind me. Picking up my speed, I run through the halls before seeing Kaka-sensei standing right before me – resulting in me sidestepping before standing over to his right.

"Yo." I state in mock salute, earning myself an eye smile in response. At that moment, Naruto's cries echo in the room, resulting in Kaka-sensei taking a step back before Naruto slips and slides across the floor before crashing backwards against the wall of the lobby.

"Hmm guess you're not going senile yet Kaka-sensei." I observe.

He sweat drops in response before becoming serious. "I'm assuming things are still the same." He sends a glance over at Naruto.

"Ahh… basically." I answer before rubbing the back of my head.

"But you didn't tell him everything." He points out.

"No. Of course not."

He makes a move to retort, only to be interrupted by Naruto.

"Oi Kakashi-sensei! I have a favor to ask!" Naruto shouts before jumping up and down in anticipation.

"Ahh… still as lively as ever." I mutter in amusement. No one pays me any mind.

Kaka-sensei holds a hand out. "Say no more. I knew you would come to me, so I found someone to supervise your training."

"Nande? I want you Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto complains, jutting a finger at Kaka-sensei's face.

I clap a hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't say that too loudly Naruto. More people are going to think you have a thing for Kaka-sensei." I warn, earning a mess of stutters in response. Kaka-sensei sends me a dry look before sighing.

"I do not!" He denies hotly.

I chuckle. "Don't worry. I won't tell Sasuke."

Running a hand down his face, he lets out a pained groan. "You're never going to let that kiss go, will you?"

I shrug. "Of course not. He was your first after all."

A storm cloud hovers over Naruto's head as his shoulders sag. I let out a chuckle before glancing over at the approaching footsteps to see Ebisu.

I send him a dry look. "Ah, it's the closet pervert." I mutter blandly, earning another groan from Naruto.

"Not him again."

Ebisu frowns. "How impolite." He admonishes as he adjusts his glasses.

"Ah... I just call it how I see it." I state with a shrug. I look back at Naruto to see him at a loss for words – mouth hanging open and everything.

'Guess he finally realized Kaka-sensei was talking about Ebisu.'

"Closet pervert?" Kaka-sensei repeats, confusion evident on his face.

"Ehh? Kakashi-sensei! Why is he going to train me? He's weaker than me. I beat him using my harem jutsu!" Before Naruto can continue, Ebisu clamps a hand over his mouth.

"Harem jutsu?" Kaka-sensei repeats again, blinking in confusion.

"No, it's nothing." Ebisu replies frantically as he attempts to strangle Naruto.

Kaka-sensei sends the three of us a surprised look. "I didn't realize you three met before." Kaka-sensei observes as he places a hand on his chin.

"We met unwillingly." Ebisu answers as he pats Naruto on the head.

"Those two got to know each other _really_ well." I say with a smirk.

Catching the implication, Kaka-sensei sees them in a new light, whatever that may be. "I… see…"

"I don't like this…" Naruto grumbles. "Why does it have to be him?"

"Why would I even want to teach you had Kakashi-sensei not asked me?" Ebisu states, obviously displeased by the arrangement.

"Then don't."

"Now, now you two. Don't say that." Kaka-sensei bends down and whispers something in Naruto's ear.

'Why do I feel like this is going to take a while?' I thought before running a hand down my face.

*sigh* "Naruto I'll see you around alright? Have fun." I wave off before making my way down another corridor of the hospital.

"Oi Riku! Don't leave me alone with this closet pervert!"

"I am not a closet pervert!"

'No one really cares what you say…'

"I'm sure you will be just fine. Just don't do anything indecent with him. Wouldn't want Sasuke to think you're cheating on him or something." I answer back, only to receive a groan in response. Satisfied, I continue to my next destination.

**{~}**

-Time skip-

-Hokage's office-

Not bothering to knock, I slowly enter Ojii-san's office to find everything the same, namely the large mountains of paperwork. Glancing across the room, I see him sitting at his desk smoking his favorite pipe while idly gazing at the papers placed in front of him. He soon lifts his head from the paper to send me a pleasant smile.

"Riku. What a pleasant surprise." His smile drops when he notices the serious expression on my face. "Is something the matter?"

I let out an empty laugh. "Yeah... a lot of things really." I lower my gaze to the ground. "Ojii-san... how much do you know about this seal?" I part my hair to the side, showing the Amarante clan seal on my neck. I watch his expression carefully, noticing how his neutral look remains as steadfast as always. The only indication of him registering my words is the sigh escaping from his lips.

"Enough... I didn't think you would learn about it this soon." He lowers his pipe to his desk, taking one last smoke-filled exhale. "It was meant to protect you... now that it's appeared, things will only grow more difficult for you."

I smile sardonically. "Hasn't it always?" I look out the window, watching the villagers conversing happily amongst themselves in slight resentment. Sighing, I shake away those unpleasant memories - the beatings, the close calls, the near deaths, everything we didn't, no, everything no one deserves, let alone two orphans - to focus on the present. "...That's not important now. No one could have changed it." I murmur, doing my best to hide the bitterness in my voice before letting out a cold chuckle. "I think I understand now..." I trail off, catching Ojii-san's attention. "...why I was so hated... even in a so-called demonic clan, even before I met Naruto." I pause. "I was the real monster in the sea of fakes... wasn't I?"

"...No." He answers softly. "You're not a monster. You never were." Threading his fingers together, he rests his chin over them. "When you were born, we were still at war. Those were trying times... everything foreign was met with suspicion. Anything demonstrating strength, any raw potential was targeted. You included." He voice darkens. "Every clan has a history, and yours is no different. You acquired something... dangerous. That was what the seal is holding back... in theory."

I frown. "In theory?" I parrot. "I don't really understand..."

"Neither do I. Your seal is similar to the one Naruto possesses but it has more layers, more locks - even to go as far as to use your memories to cement its existence. It would have been better if you never remembered anything, Riku, but that's a hopeless wish of a foolish, old man." He smiles sadly. Your father never revealed everything to me unfortunately, so I can only speculate... even so, I know there's is much more hiding beneath that seal than a so-called demon - one of which is not of the tailed beasts."

"Still a demon regardless." I muse softly, recalling the hints from my conversation with Minori. 'You said you were sealed in me... but how is that possible if she was in my mother...? Any transfer process leads to death... so how is that possible? Oka-san was alive.' I furrow my brows in thought. 'The stories don't add up. Something's wrong.'

"Especially for it to cause quite a commotion in your clan." He continues, returning my attention to the conversation. "It was never supposed to reveal itself... he always said it was an omen if it did, a rather destructive omen I believe."

I scoff. 'Of course...'

Another sigh escapes his lips.

"After your match, we had some tests ran." He shuffles through the papers on his desk. "It seems the deterioration has broken down much of your body. At this rate, you'll last for another year at best." He closes his eyes, shaking his head sadly. "Even with your body's accelerated healing..."

I laugh bitterly. "I've known that for a while Ojii-san. Just not how long exactly." I murmur, noticing how the news makes him appear more aged than before. "There's no clear-cut way to stop it... Some say control it, but that's pretty vague... even if that's all I have to work with." I sag my shoulders. "Sometimes I wish there's someone out there who can teach me... just like..." I frown before letting out an empty laugh. "...I don't even know anymore... I forgot my master's name... my first sensei... I don't remember his face... anything about him. It's gone." I rub the back of my head. "I'm a pretty bad student huh...?"

"It's not your fault..." He consoles. "...but I understand. There's not much we can do to slow down its process… our medics are not as skilled as they used to be…" He faces me with a sad expression. "Kakashi was right. You live such a bleak life for someone so young."

I let out a dry laugh. "I know… so all I have to do is fight it huh?"

"Unfortunately so… Even with our resources, there isn't any more we can do. A lot of information has been lost after the massacre after all." He runs a hand down his face, making himself appear older, more worn. "You know as well as I do that your healing can only stall it for so long, so please, not just for yourself, find a way to control it." He pleads.

"Ojii-san..." I murmur. "I understand. I know you're doing your best to help me, but don't worry. I won't die so easily. After all, who will look after Naruto when I'm gone?" I let out a hollow laugh. "I won't leave, not until I know there's someone who'll stay by his side - always." I lower my gaze to the ground. "Ne Ojii-san, are you going to tell me what you're hiding from me?"

He lets out a deep sigh. "It's not your time for you to know."

"That line again huh?" I rub the back of my neck. "Isn't that for me to decide? It's my fate right?"

"Riku… this isn't a game. The outcomes not only affect you but everyone you hold dear. Do you understand?"

"Heh. Where have I heard that before…" I let out a hollow laugh. "…it makes me wonder how big this secret you've been keeping from me is Ojii-san… Even though I understand why you want to keep it from me, it doesn't mean I'll back down. Whatever happens in the end… only time will tell us how things play out."

He nods. "Think about it carefully… that is all I can say at this point."

I bite my lip, stopping myself from telling him what I already knew in hopes I could get some confirmation. 'It's already started... this messed up game with my demon... this game of survival.' I clench my hands. 'If you're not a tailed-beast, then what are you? Why do you exist and why am I your vessel? So many unanswered questions.' I thought wryly before I gaze at Ojii-san hopefully. '...but maybe you can tell me who..' I trail off in thought.

Steeling myself, I ask Ojii-san the question plaguing my mind since the return of my memories. "Ojii-san… tell me this… do you now a person with the name beginning in "Ita"? Who is he to me?"

He notices the desperation in my voice, but merely shakes his head. I think he's slightly laughing at my attempt to say that man's name. It's not my fault Naruto had to wake me up before I can get the full name…

"It is not my place to tell you. Only when the time is right will you know, but even then, the truth might not want to be revealed."

"Always talking in riddles Ojii-san…" I sigh out.

Seeing as how I wasn't going to get anymore answers, I wave him goodbye before taking my leave.

**{~}**

-Scene change: Village Streets-

Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I stroll down the busy streets, pointedly keeping my gaze ahead as the usual chatter fills my ears. Hushes whispers, wary looks, and glares - they surround me like usual but to a lesser degree.

"Did you hear? Hinata-sama is still in critical condition at the hospital. I heard someone from the branch family did that to her."

"Branch family? Aren't the main family members supposed to be stronger?"

I still in my steps, forcing my eyes to the ground.

"Well, yeah... but she's always been a lot weaker than the others." The first speaker trails off lamely. "It honestly looked like he wanted to kill her. Jounins had to step in and everything."

"Really? Man, what I would give to see that! Two shinobi from a respected clan battling it out - that's not something you see very often nowadays."

'Neji... tried to kill Hinata?' I thought in disbelief. 'Naruto left that part out, but it's clear she didn't back down... She has the strength to keep going. Out of those two... Hinata's will is stronger.' I smile. 'She'll only grow stronger from here. I can't wait to see that... but who ever said I can't help?' I muse as several thoughts swim through my mind. 'Once you recover... I'll help you... just like you helped me that one day.'

* * *

><p>-Time skip-<p>

-At hot springs-

**(Third person perspective)**

Riku is seen crouching atop the surface of the water, shoulders heaving from exhaustion. Flicking away the wet bangs framing her face, she steadies her gaze to the ice clone standing before her. With a growl, Riku launches herself at the clone, initiating a taijutsu match before the two figures skid away from one another. Small cuts appear on Riku's body as the ice clone regenerates itself.

"Bikoume!" Both girls call out before charging at each other once more.

Riku attempts to freeze the water, but her chakra control falls short, causing the ice to quickly melt away. Seeing this as a chance, the ice clone forms a sword from its arm and charges at Riku. Before the hit could connect, Riku sends scalding water towards the ice clone, quickly immersing it in the water.

"Crap… I don't know where she is now…" Riku mutters to herself as she glances around.

A scene quickly flashes through her mind, causing her to jump away to the left. However, the attack changes its course and ice pillars erupt from the surrounding water. All of them head straight for Riku but she calmly melts the surrounding ice and bends the scalding water towards the clone. Smoke covers the area until it reveals two panting figures.

"Looks like this is where logic gets thrown out the window…" Riku states with a smirk. The ice clone mimics her stance before repeatedly sending ice needles towards Riku. Riku bends several water tentacles from the water, catching the needles before sending them violently back – nailing them point-blank on the clone. The clone's face morphs into shock before it shatters into shimmering shards.

"Looks like I went a bit too far…" Riku states as the wounds begin to make themselves apparent on her skin. "At least I don't get the same wounds as my clone anymore…" She slowly bends the water onto her wounds, slowly closing them up until only faint scars remain. Releasing a sigh, Riku makes her way to the shore before heading into the woman's bath to allow the nearly recovered wounds to heal more. Leaning back against the rock, Riku allows a content sigh to escape her lips.

"You were just peeking at the women's bath!"

Riku snaps her eyes open before blinking several times. 'Naruto? That's definitely his voice...'

At the announcement, the women all race out of the bathhouse, causing the pervert outside the bath house to shout out excuses. Riku facepalms.

'Where do you meet these people Naruto…? Looks like I better get out of here then.' With that, the water begins to bubble before shrouding the entire room with steam.

-Time skip-

After moving to the forest, Riku settles herself on the ground before staring at her hands.

"How do I even go about this…" Riku mumbles to herself. "How do I even control this…"

Lightning creeps up onto her skin before condensing itself around her arms to form vine-like appendages. Her breathing becomes shallow as the lightning continues to crackle against her skin.

*cough*cough*

Clearing her throat, Riku glances down at the ground to see specks of blood spotting the ground.

"Tch. It's getting worse… I really am running out of time."

Stumbling onto her legs, Riku faces a tree and swipes at it, only to have the lightning dissipate and attack nearby trees before forming cracks into the ground. Knocked off balance by the impact, Riku crosses her arms in an attempt to stop the flying debris as she skids against the floor. Crackles and snaps fill the air before the normal silence of the forest returns.

She weakly lifts her arms in front of her to see them littered with vine-like burn marks. Tilting her head to the side, she gazes over to the broken trees before resting her eyes on the craters littering on the ground.

"Still out of control…" Riku pants out before her eyes slowly close. "What am I even doing…" She places her hands on her face before allowing them to rest at her sides.

"I think the noise came from here." Naruto call out before widening his eyes at the sight before him. "Huh? Riku? Is that you?"

At the sound of her name, Riku snaps open her eyes to see Naruto gaping at her.

**{~}**

**(First person perspective)**

What were the chances of meeting Naruto here? Guess it must have been pretty high, seeing as he was standing right in front of me. I slowly sit up and face him and Jiraiya. If Jiraiya was the pervert then it would make sense, seeing as how he wrote Kaka-sensei's books.

"Yo! What's up?" I ask with a small pained smile.

"Ero-sannin was teaching me how to walk on water but then we heard a loud crash." Naruto stops talking when he notices the trees and ground. "Riku … did…something get you angry?"

'Looks like I can still get some entertainment out of this..'

I smile before sheepishly rubbing the back of my head. "When I was taking a bath I heard you talking about some pervert peeking in. Since I couldn't find him, this is what happened. Too bad though. I wanted to execute him." I state with a shrug.

Naruto takes several steps back before crossing his legs. 'Was that what he thought I meant by executing the pervert…? I wasn't going to go that far…' I sweat drop at the realization.

"Ehh? You were the one that Ero-mfdfsd."

Jiraiya quickly covers Naruto's mouth.

I quirk an brow at Jiraiya before letting out a laugh. The two of them send me confused looks, causing me to end my laughing fit early.

"Geez… you two should have a look at your faces. That was hilarious. I already knew it was you who was peeking Jiraiya." His form stiffens, but I just wave him off. "Look I'm not upset. There's not really anything to look at for me. Naru can tell you that." I point out, causing his face to flush. Jiraiya looks at Naruto in disbelief, but I continue regardless. "Again, no harm, no foul."

Pushing myself off the ground, I quickly right myself when I feel my legs staggering under me. Naruto makes a move to help, but I wave him off. "It's nothing new, Naru."

He frowns, eyeing the burns on my arms in worry.

"It'll heal. It always does." I add, ignoring the pang of guilt creeping in my gut.

He looks away, allowing his bangs to shadow his face before sending me a strained smile. "Haha yeah. I know that. I was just checking something." I send him a curious glance, but he waves it off. "Wait, where's that psycho-sensei you always go off with? She isn't training you for the exam?"

"I thought you didn't like her?" I ask with a quirked brow.

He shivers. "Of course I don't! After that weird cheek-licking thing she did to me at the start of the second exam." He cringes. "I don't get how you can even stand her, but she was your sensei..." He trails off lamely.

I laugh. "Yeah, but since she's also a proctor, she can't train me, so as things go, it looks like I'm on my own." I explain sheepishly. 'As of now it looks like the only option I have is to train myself, but that would be difficult unless I find some of the scrolls from… the compound.' I realize.

"You have that weird spacey look again." Naruto points out before eyeing the burns once again. "You sure you don't want any help with them? They look pretty bad... I don't think blood's supposed to have black chunks..." That catches Jiraiya's attention.

I observe Naru blankly before shrugging. "Must be burned chunks of wood."

Naruto scratches the back of his head. "I guess that makes sense." He mumbles before Jiraiya bends down.

"Just to be safe. Let's bandage these up alright?" Jiraiya takes out a roll of bandages and begins wrapping it around my arm. His eyes trail up to my neck - stopping over my seal for several lingering seconds - before he lets out a scoff. "So that's it huh? So you have _that _in you..." " He murmurs softly so only I can hear before increasing the volume of his voice. "Pretty nasty stuff you have there kid." He adds before lowering his voice once again.

I scoff. "Tell me about it. It's pretty normal though."

"Huh... you're losing the battle, aren't you?"

I send him an amused glance. "That obvious?"

"Obviously." He snorts. "You know the time limit?"

I nod. "A year at best…" I answer, noticing his hands tense for a moment before relaxing.

*sigh* "I was afraid of that... look I'll oversee some of your training, kid. Don't object. You need to get it under control before it's too late."

"I know…"

Naruto squats down on my other side, sending Jiraiya a disapproving glance. "Oi what are you two whispering about?" Naruto growls. He never did like being ignored in the first place. Wiping away the traces of sadness from my face, I give Naruto a smile.

"Looks like I'll be training with you a bit Naruto."

He sends me a puzzled look before breaking out into a large grin. "That's great!"

"Ahh… and if you don't mind, why don't we go back to the Amarante compound tomorrow? Just like we promised during the exam." I ask before fiddling with one of my stray bangs.

Question upon question… they have all been building up since the start of the exam. All of my memories…why were they sealed? Did Orochimaru really save me? What crime did my clan try to commit? Was all of this even true? Who was Ita-something person? Why do I feel like he's the key to all of this? All I know is the only way to find these answers was to go back to the past… to the nightmare I never wanted to remember.

Naruto's face softens before his signature grin takes over once again. "Of course!"

Little did I know that this one trip would cause so much destruction later on.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think this chapter turned out well. It was difficult to incorporate some of the ideas in this chapter so that it would flow smoothly. The next chapter will have Riku and Naruto visiting the compound. Things will be chaotic in that chapter and hopefully she'll be able to remember more about her past. If anyone would like to give me any ideas for her training or for other events, feel free to review or send a PM and I'll reply in the next chapter or sooner. Hope you enjoyed their chapter.<strong>

**Until next time.**

**Ja ne.~**

**{~}**

_(Edited 8/24/14) Changes made: Some of the interactions and thoughts of Riku and Naruto throughout the chapter. More thoughts on Hinata. _


	15. Chapter 15: What's left in the Ashes

~Chapter 15: What's left in the Ashes~

**AN:**** I know it has been two months or so since I last updated. I've been busy with school and college aps and I'm extremely sorry about that..I still have more to go, but I wanted to finish a chapter. Thank you to everyone who has alerted, favorite, and/or reviewed this story. It means a lot to me and motivates me to write more chapters. My writing style has changed a bit, but I hope the story is still enjoyable. This chapter focuses on the trip back to the compound and helps develop the character relationships a bit more, so this is somewhat a filler chapter. Sorry about that but I need it to get the story going. xD**

**Animelover1754:**** Thank you for reviewing and reading this story. It means a lot to me. I'm glad you like my story. This chapter answers some questions or hints at them, but more riddles have appeared, so I hope that keeps the story interesting.**

**Tenshin-no-Tsubasa:**** I reread the last chapter and found the mistake. Thanks for telling me about that. The correction has already been made. (^.^) I always like how you write random comments; they're always fun to read and you're English is fine. It's not difficult to understand at all. I really like the line you included from the song you mentioned; it does fit Riku. I usually try to add characteristics and thoughts people could relate to when I write Riku's thoughts and comments.**

**Moonlttiger:**** Thanks for reviewing. I always love writing Shikamaru x Riku scenes. It's fun, but sometimes hard to keep the people in character. Hopefully I did so in this chapter. I was experimenting with some scenes and hopefully it worked out. If not, then send me a note and I'll do a better job next time.**

**Mini note: If anyone has any ideas they want to see or any specific relationship scenes, then feel free to message me or leave a review and I'll try to add it into the story.**

_*Altered Chapter (see announcement 3)_

**{~}**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

'_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

**(-.-); or (-.-;) = Riku sweat dropping**

**(= -.- =) = Naruto's expressions**

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p>'<em>It's sad when people you know become people you knew. When you walk right past someone like they were never a big part of your life. How you used to be able to talk for hours and how now, you can barely even look at them.'<em>

_~Unknown_

"_**How far we have fallen from each other -we who used to tell each other secrets… we who used to tell each other everything - have fallen so far as to forget what really matters… Life got away from us… but was it really that or was it something much bigger?"**_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

* * *

><p>~Mindscape~<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

Everything was covered in a sea of blood. Nothing was left untainted in its grasp - from the walls of the building to the corpses littering the ground; however, the sight merely left a solemn expression on the girl's face as she continues to trudge through the burning buildings, making sure each step avoided the scattered corpses. The sight appeared to be a norm to her now, for this scene has played in front of her countless times; though, it seemed as if she was searching for something through the chaos. Screams echo throughout the Amarante compound, but Riku pays no mind – telling herself nothing could be done to change the outcome that has already occurred.

"You're finally back…" An unknown, yet calming voice breaks through the seemingly endless chaos- urging Riku to continue forward.

"Where are you…" Riku mutters to herself. The flames dance wildly in the background, glimmering in her silver eyes as she allows her legs to guide her to her destination. She doesn't appear to know the course from which she would take, but all she could do was continue onward, eventually finding herself in the water sector of the compound. Blood continues to make its presence known, staining the ground and thawing snow. Allowing the sloshing blood-mixed snow to crunch under each step, Riku begins to head toward the frozen pillar in the middle of the court. The dancing lights from the fire reflect off the ice – covering it in sheen impossible to see through.

"You still don't remember do you…?" A voice mutters out, smooth and caressing. "It is not the time to know. Not yet…"

"What are you talking about? What am I even supposed to remember! Answer me! I'm sick of all these riddles and lies…"

"It's not time yet. When the moon rises, chaos ensues, but when the sun appears, the fight has merely begun. Free yourself from your doubts and chain up your true self. Undo the chains to find a sleeping monster. When the time is right… you will understand everything."

"Again with the riddles…" Riku growls out through clenched teeth. Before another comment could escape her lips, the surroundings fade out into black, signaling the awakening of her physical body.

**{~}**

~Riku's apartment~

**(First person perspective)**

As I slowly open my silver eyes, the first rays of the sun begin to peek through the blinds, causing me to drape my arm over my adjusting eyes as I release a groan of displeasure.

"Morning already…" I mutter sleepily.

More memory fragments have been appearing lately, but they left more questions than answers. What was with that riddle? Something about the sun and the moon? Did she mean the elements? It was common knowledge that water benders grew stronger with the moon's presence, while lightning users received the same effect with the sun, but even so, what did that have to do with anything?

"Geez… how troublesome…" I mutter out while rubbing the back of my head. I blink before looking at my hand quizzically. "Great…" I slump my head. "Now I'm starting to sound like Shika…" With a sigh, I raise my arms in front of me to examine the bandages covering the burns from yesterday's incident. The pain wasn't as debilitating as other days, causing a smile to enter my face.

_You know the time limit right?_

_At this rate, a little less than a year…_

My smile vanishes. 'I'm running out of time…' I rest my arms at my sides before I stare at the ceiling. My case is nothing new. The lightning users… it was common for them to die. Some lacked self-restraint, incinerating themselves. Others couldn't control it – allowing it to run its course to the heart – effectively stopping it. The remaining just deteriorated, wasted away until they were nothing more than living skeletons. The survivors… they were granted with a madness that never left them. I saw it in oto-san. He couldn't control his madness; it devoured him, but I didn't understand why. He had oka-san to keep him in the grounded, so why did he lose himself? I close my eyes, trying to remember something, anything that could help me. Nothing. Nothing comes to mind. I bite my bottom lip. I really had no escape for this. If I couldn't control it… I would die. If I did, I would eventually be swept away by the madness. Neither outcome is favorable. To add more to misfortune, if I lost Minori's little bet, I'll be dead as well.

"Life really is full of death, isn't it?" I murmur in amusement. "Treat life as a game to remain sane… isn't that right Anko-sensei?"

I sit up on my bed, running a hand through my messy locks. Releasing a sigh, I head into the living room before opening one of the cabinets to reveal several vials of sloshing white liquid.

'I never used any of it…' I thought to myself as I stare at the numerous vials. Anko had given me several vials in the past, but I merely stored them in my apartment. I tap my fingers against the wood, debating on whether or not to take the medicine. Releasing another sigh, I reach over to grab a vial before-

"Riku are you awake?"

I freeze. After several linger moments, I lower my hand before softly shutting the cabinet door.

"He always has great timing." I allow a small smile to enter my face before answering the door to see my favorite hyper-active knucklehead.

He sends me a confused glance. "Oi why aren't you ready yet? Don't you want to go back to the compound?"

"Hai. Hai." I wave off lazily before running a hand through my messy hair once again. "Just give me a minute. You can come in and wait." I motion for Naruto to enter before telling him to wait for me in the living room. He eyes the scattered scrolls on the floor before sending me a questioning look. He knew I was a stickler for cleaning, so the sight must have been quite a surprise.

I merely shrug in response. Taking that as my answer, he plops onto the lone couch before resting his feet on the table, all while having his signature grin. I quirk an eyebrow at him. Understanding the cue, he grudgingly lowers his feet to the ground before glancing around the room. Shaking my head, I return to my room to change. After tying my hair, I reach towards my nightstand for my necklace before stopping halfway when I see the ring glow an eerie red. I lower my hand to my side and watch, waiting for it to do… something. After many lingering moments, the ring finally dims. Nothing happened. I blink in confusion, still waiting for it to do something… maybe sprout legs and walk away?

"Oi Riku! Hurry up. You're such a girl. You didn't take this long before!" Naruto groans from the other room. Snapping out of my staring match with the ring, I quickly slip the necklace on before heading over to Naruto.

'What was that?' I grip the necklace. 'Why is it reacting?'

**{~}**

**(Third person perspective)**

Not far from the apartment, a red-haired sand ninja stares blankly at Riku's window. Several moments before, the gem in his possession had been pulsating with an unusually strong chakra. Before he could examine it, it had quickly dispersed. Gaara stares blankly at the cracked gem before switching his gaze to the blue-haired female in the room.

"What an interesting new toy…." He murmurs before disappearing in a whirlwind of sand.

**{~}**

~Time skip~

**(First person perspective)**

It took about an hour or so to reach the compound, seeing as it was built miles uphill away from the village. I never did learn why my clan was not physically connected to Konoha, but I just assumed it was because the wide terrain allowed the different element users to prosper. Still, I never quite understood why a clan composed of different elemental users would settle in one area rather than break off into their respective elemental countries. Then again, that would have been impossible to accomplish, seeing as children didn't necessarily obtain the same elements as their parents.

Maybe it was because of this idea that the compound was divided into different sectors – one for water, one for fire, one for earth, one of wind, one for lightning, and the compound center.

Each sector had a business district and residential district. Although the clan appeared to be separated, it was united under the matriarch and patriarch of the clan. The patriarch was always a lightning or air user, while the matriarch's elements were not limited to a specific group. I wasn't really sure why this was the case, but I suppose it was just one of those old traditions the clan decided to keep. Seeing as how the patriarch and matriarch couldn't very well regulate everything in the compound, leaders from each elemental sector were chosen to be part of the counsel that helped the patriarch and matriarch regulate the clan. Heritage and lineage eventually played a role in deciding who the council members, patriarch, and matriarch would be. If the massacre never occurred, then I would be the next matriarch. Odd seeing as everyone hated me, but I suppose tradition (as well as secrets) ran pretty deep in my clan. The patriarch would have been decided by the clan, but that didn't mean the patriarch had to be in the clan. No. It was just common practice for him to be part of the clan, but as long as there was some political benefit, the patriarch could come from another clan with equal or higher status as ours (meaning I was a political bargaining chip…yay…). I guess that was how I came to know Sasuke; it was our parents that introduced us to each other. Now that I think about it, I still don't recall who my fiancé was supposed to be. Not like it matters now right?

As Naruto and I walk through the gates of the compound, a sense of nostalgia fills me as I recall the laughter that used to echo throughout the walls of the main streets. Even though I was alienated from the rest of the clan, I still enjoyed the happiness that radiated from others. It always managed to calm me down whenever I felt the hateful stares burning into my head. Naruto, Shika, Sasuke, and this Ita-something person were my only solace from this nightmare and here I am walking through these streets – actually missing the hate-filled glares of the other clan members.

"If only they were still here…" I mutter out. Naruto sends me a sad smile in response before rubbing the top of my head.

"Come on. Don't make such a face. I know it's painful to be back here, but you're not alone. Let's go to that lake!" He points excitedly towards the water sector. I suppose he's trying to cheer me up and surprisingly it works. I can't help the small smile adorning my lips. I nod in response after noticing how most of the buildings are free of blood stains and reconstructed. Did someone rebuild part of the compound? I shake my head, clearing those thoughts away. 'There isn't someone who would do such a thing…we were considered the demonic clan for a reason...'

"How about a race?" I ask, turning to face Naruto. "First one to the lake wins. Loser has to do whatever the winner wants."

"You're on! If I win you're buying me ramen!" Naruto states with a goofy grin.

'Just like old times… I wonder if we'll always be like this… I really hope so…'

"Get ready to lose, Naru." I warn. "On your mark. Get set. Go!" With that, both of us charge through the water sector. The lake was located in the middle of the sector, but that doesn't mean it was easy to get to. From what I remember, the lake was a spiritual ground of some sort. I wasn't sure of the specifics, but since there weren't any more water benders, the lake would probably just be a dried up ditch. Traps were always placed within a 500 foot radius of the place and knowing Naruto, this little game isn't going to be a cake walk for him.

**{~}**

~40 minutes later~

"What's taking him so long?" I mutter as I lean against a tree.

I glance over at the lake, or well what used to be the lake. It's now a dried up ditch. Without the water benders, the ever-present snow no longer exists. Water benders would always change the weather to suit the training regime, but the snow was what made the water sector the water sector. It was a trademark of sorts. I remember the times I would randomly change the weather when I first learned how to bend. (Only advanced benders could change the weather or those possessing a lot of potential but were too emotionally unstable to control it.) I shake my head at the memory. It caused a lot of problems, but I remember my old master would just laugh every time someone brought it up. He… was one of the few in the clan who saw me as a person and yet, I can't even remember his name or his face. Just his voice... and his lack of arms.

I shake my head sadly. Releasing a sigh, I glance over to the dried up lake to see a keystone. I blink several times. There was never a keystone there… even when the lake was dried up back then. Furrowing my eyes in confusion, I leave my seat to investigate. Crouching down, I peer at its surface to see several engraving and seals.

'It looks complicated… I wonder if I can lift this…' I try to lift it from its spot to no avail. I scratch my head. 'Why won't it move?' Rubbing my hands together, I try again only to get the same result. After several more failed attempts, I fall on my butt.

'How heavy is this thing? I know I'm strong, but how can a rock be stronger? This is just sad… if psycho-sensei saw this she would be laughing for who knows how long…'

*sweatdrop*

"I get bested by a rock…" I drag my hand down my face before it completely slides off.

I must have been lost in my thought for too long, since next thing I know, a yellow blur runs into my back – causing both of us to tumble in the dirt before I land on top of the rock.

'I now understand the meaning behind the line 'between a rock and a hard place'…' I thought before opening my eyes to see Naruto lying on top of me.

"I made it!" He exclaims happily but as he looks down he notices he wasn't the first one to reach the lake first. "Aww I thought I beat you this time!" He cries with a small pout. It seems as if he didn't notice how he was straddling my waist or how he was closing the space between our faces as he allows his head to drop down in disappointment.

'Dense...' I muse before shoving Naruto off. He lands roughly back as I rub my back from the impact. 'Eh... it's already healing.'

"Oi!" Naruto sits up, grabbing the back of his head as a frown appears on his face. "What was that for?"

I send him a blank look. "No reason." I answer simply, causing him to crash face-first into the ground.

"Liar!" He points at me before a mischievous grin enters his face. I didn't like that look. Next thing I knew, Naruto is on top of me, straddling my waist…again. I stare wide-eyed at him, mouth agape.

"Ha! Now tell me why you did that or I won't get off."

I feel heat creeping on my face. What was going on?

"You were crushing me into a rock with your layers of fat." I deadpan, fighting the odd feeling in my stomach. Was the deterioration getting worse? This isn't good.

"Oi I'm not fat. It's muscle."

"Fat."

"Muscle."

"Fatty muscle."

"Oi!"

Before he can continue, we hear a snap and the rustling of leaves. We send each other a confused glance before turning our gaze to the bushes to see our favorite white-haired sannin.

'Great timing...' I thought sarcastically. 'He's going to take this all wrong...'

"I didn't know you had it in you Naruto!" He cries happily - all while sending him a suggestive wink and swaying his hips from side to side like a fangirl.

I grimace at the sight. 'I think I just died a little inside.'

Naruto sends him a bland look. "Oi what are you talking about Ero-sannin?"

I smile in amusement. 'Completely oblivious...'

"Naruto… look down…" I point out, earning his attention. He stares at me with wide eyes before I lightly pull on one of the hairs framing his face. "Again, I know we're pretty close, but ... you're heavy." I deadpan, increasing his blush. Stuttering a jumble of apologies, he jumps away before yelling at Jiraiya for making weird assumptions. I let out an amused chuckle before standing and brushing away the dirt clinging to my clothes.

"Yo Jira-sensei. What are you doing here anyway?" I ask, finding the meeting to be too coincidental. Sure, he heard us talking about visiting the compound, but why would he be here? Not many people knew how to get past the wards, but then again, this is a legendary sannin I'm talking about and one that specializes in seals at that.

He blinks in confusion before pointing to his face. "Jira-sensei? You mean me?"

"Eh? Why'd you give Ero-sannin a nickname? You only do that to people you're close to." Naruto accuses.

I shrug. "It stuck."

Naruto hangs his head. "Seriously? You don't even call the teme or Sakura-chan by one."

"Sasuke rejected his. Sakura... can't find one that sticks." I explain easily, frowning at the slight pang in my chest at the mention of Sakura. 'Deterioration again huh...'

"Hm..." Jira-sensei hums in thought. "Just call me Jiraiya... adding sensei makes it sound too formal."

"Sure, sure." I wave off. "Anyway... why are you here again?" I bring back.

"If you must know, I was following up on a lead I heard about your clan and wanted to see if it was true. I just didn't think I would walk on you two though and here I thought I was the only pervert." He finishes with a small smirk.

I send him a bland look.

"Oi! I said nothing happened!" Naruto groans hotly. "You know I like Sakura-chan!"

A small frown forms on my face before it quickly disappears behind a mask of indifference. I slowly walk towards the two.

"What rumor?" I ask.

Jiraiya sends a look at Naruto before facing me once again. 'Looks like it's something we can't talk about right now.'

"It's nothing. I just thought one of the old buildings had some books that could greatly aid in my … research." He answers with a knowing smirk.

I facepalm. 'Nice cover up… I guess.'

"Well I'll let you two lovebirds get back to what you were doing. I'll see you two tomorrow for training." He sends us a wink and wave before disappearing into the forest.

"Oi!" Before Naruto can get in another word, Jiraiya was already gone. "Baka Ero-sannin." Naruto mutters with a pout.

'_**Everything is still the same… how sad…'**_

I release a sigh. 'Just leave me alone, Minori.'

'_**But its true isn't it? You're afraid of losing him… of being alone. Don't you want to change that?'**_

'Hmm…finally showing your true colors again? I'm not falling for it; just leave me alone.'

'_**Do you really wish that? Don't you want to hear the truth? To know how much you will lose?'**_

I close my eyes. 'I can take it as long as he's safe. You already know that.'

'_**How foolish… You still don't understand… you don't understand anything…'**_

'What are you talking about?'

'…'

'Now she stops talking… great… just great…'

"-iku. Oi! Riku!"

I snap out of my thoughts to see Naruto sending a slightly concerned gaze my way. 'I must have been spacing out too long.'

"Nani?"

"So what are we supposed to look for?" Naruto asks.

I place a hand on my chin. "I want to find some scrolls to practice my bending as well as visit …the memorial." I answer solemnly.

It didn't take us long to find the main house in the water sector. All the scrolls were unreachable to those not part of the Amarante compound, so it was simple to crack the blood seals to obtain the practice scrolls. Before heading out to the lightning sector, I can't help but hear a voice calling out to me. It was quite unusual, but I chose to ignore it, figuring it was just the wind playing tricks on me. The closer we ventured back to the lake, (the main house in the water district is past the lake) the clearer the voice appeared in my head.

'Come closer. Lose yourself.'

I pause before turning to face the lake once again. Putting little thought into my actions, I retrace my steps, following the voice calling out to me.

"Riku? Oi!"

Someone grabs my arm, snapping me back to reality. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I glance back to see Naruto giving a concerned look.

"Hey... You completely zoned out on me… and started walking away like some puppet…"

I blink at him. "I don't really know… I thought I heard someone call me, then nothing." I answer honestly, causing him to frown for a moment.

"Maybe you're just stressed from being here. I'm sure it's nothing." Naruto responds with a grin. I stare at him for several moments before offering him a smile of my own.

"Ahh… you're right. I might have just been caught up in the moment."

With that, we return to our normal course to the lightning sector. Unlike the water sector, the lightning sector was mostly comprised of metal. Metal beams jut out of the ground in an array of appearances – all different densities, lengths, shapes. I never understood the reasoning for it, but I think it had something to do with training? I think it also acted as a defense mechanism, but seeing as there weren't any lightning benders in the compound, we were safe. Passing through the throng of metal structures, Naruto and I end up in front of the main house. Cracks litter the surface of the building, but despite its crumbling appearance, the metal beams holding the entire structure made it structurally sound. Walking over to the side entrance, I crack the blood seal before shoving open the metal door to see several scrolls lined up in the nearby shelves.

'Found them.'

After taking several scrolls and resealing the door, we set off to our final destination – the memorial. Taking several calming breaths, I trudge through the compound before stopping in front of the gates leading to the center of the compound.

"I'm back." I murmur. "I'm finally back…"

What was I supposed to feel? Happy? Angry? Sad? I don't know. I look away. Could I even go through with this? How long has it been since I last step foot in there? Years?

"Oi, you're not getting cold feet are you?"

I snap my gaze up to see Naruto's slightly concerned expression. A smile still adorns his face, but it held sadness as well. "Look, I know I'm not the smartest person out there." I gave him a look that said 'really? I never knew.' He rolls his eyes before continuing. "But that doesn't mean I don't know what's going on in your head. You're thinking of running away again, aren't you?"

I tilt my head to the side. "Ahh… what makes you say that?"

"Your expression…I've worn it on myself before… you're scared to see them again."

I shrug. "I don't know what to feel. They hated me… wanted to use me as a tool." I let out a sigh. "But when they could have saved themselves… they didn't. They… they protected me despite their hatred. I just don't get it."

He looks at me curiously. "I think it's stupid to worry about things like that. If they didn't, then we wouldn't be together like this."

I glance over at Naruto to see him gazing at the sky with a grin, causing a small smile to creep on my face.

"Ahh…" With that I take several steps past the gate to see a sleek, engraved black stone sitting in the middle of the courtyard. I walk up to it before running my hand on its surface.

"In memory to those lost in the Amarante clan…" I pause, catching the names of even the children lost to the massacre. They were all innocent. They didn't want to die. I clench my hand before dropping it to my side. So why? I close my eyes. Even now I can still hear the agonizing screams from that night. The pleas for mercy, the blood stained buildings, the corpses littering the ground, the frozen faces of those killed in the middle of their cries, the crushing and snapping of bone – I remember them all. And all I did was watch. Everything was taken away from me that night just because of who I was, am – a weapon, a prized weapon that could destroy as well as create.

Everything I held dear was taken away from me… and that is why I won't let anything else be taken away from me… not with a fight. Without much thought, I pour out the water from my gourd. It snakes around me in a caressing hold before slinking over to the memorial.

"Riku?"

I place a finger on my lips. "Just watch."

The water wraps itself around the memorial before branching out into small vines. The vines bloom flowers before the entire structure freezes, encasing the memorial in timeless ice blossoms.

"Wow…" Naruto breathes out as the shimmering specks of ice disperse, revealing the vines and flowers. "Isn't that what you did for Haku and Zabuza?"

I close my eyes. "Yes… I suppose this is the only way I can pay my respects."

Despite this, I felt …robbed? I wanted revenge. I wanted Orochimaru to suffer as well, but wouldn't that make me just like him? Wouldn't that make me even more as a monster? Did that really matter to me now? I was always a monster… will be more so one once the madness sets in if I survive… so what's stopping me from going after him, to hurt him, to kill him, to let everything go and rely only on instinct. Isn't that what I was meant to be – a killing machine? So what's stopping me?

"Riku..."

Naruto's hands encase mine, causing me to snap my gaze to his. He sends me a sad smile before uncurling my fingers his with his thumbs to show the deep moon-shaped indentations on my palms. Blood slowly trickles from the wounds but I pay them no mind.

"It's not your fault…" He mutters, locking his blue eyes with my silver ones. My face softens.

He's why. He's kept me sane. He's my solace – my light. Despite everything, he's my support. Even if I fall into the depths of madness, I know he would drag me out as I would do for him. But it's not just him… everyone… they've accepted me, kept me safe. I'm no longer alone, so there isn't really a need to exact my revenge… I have everything I need right here.

I lean forward to place a small kiss on his forehead (more so his forehead protector since he had it on). I want him to know how important he is to me. I want to show him, to reinforce this belief in his head. I want him to have no doubts.

"Arigato Naru-kun." I utter with a soft smile before quickly pulling away.

"E-Eh?" His face reddens as he places a hand on his forehead. I turn around.

"Naruto. Before I go back… I want to see one more thing. Go ahead without me. This… I need to do this myself."

I hear the confusion in his voice, but he finally concedes, telling me to be careful before he heads back to the village. I don't move for several lingering moments before releasing a small sigh.

'I have to see it… it's the only way to find some closure for all of this…'

With that, I head towards the place where everything should have burned to ashes – the place where oka-san died. As I wander through the empty streets, I see burn marks littering the surface of the nearby buildings.

'Even at this distance…' I shake my head. "She really was incredible."

As I continue down the ash covered road, I finally see the blackened remains of the house – oka-san's final resting place. I crouch down to examine the fine powder, allowing it to flow freely through the cracks in my hand.

'Everything was incinerated.' I stand and approach one of the sparse support beams, one of the few that were resistant to fire. But even so…

*snap*crack*

Even her flames could destroy it.

"You shouldn't have died that day oka-san…" I mutter to myself as I watch the rubble continue to crack and groan under the pressure of my hand. "You had everything… everyone loved you, adored you… You didn't have to risk everything for me… I was hated… you knew that."

*crack*crack*

"Despite everything… you loved me… You really did love me."

*CRACK*

The beam snaps in half before falling haphazardly on the ashen ground.

"You really were something oka-san…" I mutter out as I close my eyes to listen to the rustling leaves in the distance, finding them calming. "To protect me even though you knew it was hopeless… you could have saved the whole clan if you gave me up… so why didn't you? Was it save the village or was there another reason?"

The wind suddenly picks up, blowing my pigtails in various directions. Slowly opening my eyes, I notice the wind sifting through the charred rubble, revealing something glittering within the ashes. Bending down, I wipe away the rest of the ashes to find a single earring. The clasp was made of silver forged through the earth and fire users, while the clear orb was a key or some sort – seeing as how there were several symbols inscribed within its very surface.

I simply stare at the earring in disbelief before allowing my bangs to shadow my face.

"You knew I would come back… that's why you left this here…." I can't help but let out a small chuckle. "Even in death you still thought about me… you left me with the means to find the answers to everything… now all I have to do is put the pieces together…arigato…oka-san." I close my hand tightly around the piece of jewelry before standing up.

"I won't ever forget you oka-san… I won't let your sacrifice be in vain… I will live no matter what… I won't die. Not without a fight."

With renewed vigor, I head towards the underground library of the main compound where all the documents were kept in the utmost security. It was, is the only place with the answers I need.

Entering the main house, I place my hand on one of the platforms on the wall before a hidden passageway reveals itself. I descend the stairs before stopping in front of another bolted door littered with seals and paper charms. I run my hand against the door's surface before trailing my hand along two indentations – one for my mother's earring, another for my father's ring. I glance down at the ring around my neck. It wasn't the right one. Releasing a sigh, I lean against the wall before sliding down into a seated position.

I can't get in. Not without the other key. Seeing as a ring was never recovered from his body, he must have given it to the next patriarch, but I don't even know who the next patriarch is. I let out a groan.

"Even when I think I have the answers… something gets in the way…" I grumble, knocking my head against the wall softly.

"So this is where you ended up."

Surprised by the voice, I shift my gaze over to see Jiraiya leaning casually against the wall not too far away from me.

'When did he… I guess he's not a sannin for nothing.' I muse.

"Yeah…" I rub the back of my head. "So what was the lead you were talking about?"

He looks up at the ceiling, "It's already established that your clan isn't normal. But apparently there's been some speculation that your clan's past is more… dark, secretive. However you want to put it." He shrugs. "You want to know why you're still alive right? Why Orochimaru slaughtered an entire clan just for one individual?"

I glance up at him before nodding.

"Well, to be completely honest…" I tense. "I don't know."

I facepalm. "You set that up for it to be a complete let down."

He sends me a smile. "I never said I knew. I just said that I heard some rumors… You met him right? He's the reason your seal is now showing, isn't he?"

I lower my hand to my neck. "Wow… you're able to connect the dots." I answer in amusement before locking my gaze with him. "Orochimaru told me that my clan wanted to keep its little weapon chained up, but…" I glance down with a sad smile. "that's a lie. If they had to choose between one person and the lives of the whole clan, wouldn't it make much more sense to choose the latter? Would they really care that much about a weapon to be willing to die for it? I know in some cases those who possess power will do whatever it takes to keep it, but I guess some part of me hopes that I was more to my clan than just a weapon…" I pause. "My oka-san loved me… I know that. Maybe… that's enough."

Silence then a sigh.

"You're unusually perceptive for your age… nothing like Naruto." He grumbles, causing me to release a laugh. "But, that seal's an omen of sorts. When it appears, it means tragedy will befall the owner and is a means to an end… or so according to some of the texts I recovered from the main compound. Still doesn't explain much."

I nod again before seeing Jiraiya crouching down next to me.

"Hey, how're you taking everything? I know that you're strong and can be an emotional cinder block from what Kakashi tells me, but not many ninja can just take everything and not let anything out. It's not healthy."

*sigh*

"I know." I rub the back of my head. "Everything's been weighing on me and I've been trying to keep things under control. This problem doesn't need to involve anyone else… especially Naruto. He can't know." I answer softly. "I don't want things to change between us… if he knew I was internally decaying, how do you think he would react?"

"Like a baka." He deadpans.

I chuckle in amusement. "Exactly."

"But a caring baka who's worried about his friend."

I blink.

"I haven't known you two for very long, but from what I can tell, he really cares about you… more than he realizes." He finishes with a smug smile.

"Ahh… do me a favor and don't pollute his head with those perverted ideas of yours." I rebuke with a smile.

"No promises."

I laugh.

"But I think you should let him in more… you never know. He just might be the person you need to get through this. If you push him away, you might lose sight of yourself and the others around you. You might end up succumbing to the madness associated with the deterioration and end up betraying him..."

I glance up to see a solemn expression on his face. "You're saying this like you've been through his before."

He merely sighs. "You could say that, but this isn't about me."

"Ahh…" I glance over at the sealed door. "Any chance you could crack that door open?" I jut my thumb behind me.

"Hm?" He glances up before running his hands over the engravings.

*whistles* "This is one advanced seal. It'll probably take me some time to figure it out, but who would I be if I couldn't crack a seal of this caliber."

I quirk a brow. "So I'm taking it as a yes?"

He thumps his chest. "Of course. So...is there some other place you want to visit before heading out of here?"

"Not really." I rub the back of my head before heading back up the stairs, hearing Jiraiya's footsteps behind me.

As the passage closes, I glance over to the side to see the door of my old room ajar.

"Something bothering you?"

Ignoring his question, I approach the door before peering in to see … everything the same. Nothing had moved. Everything just had a layer of dust. Taking another deep breath, I enter the room, allowing a feeling of nostalgia to fill me, caress me, embrace me. The blue walls are still faded and worn. Scrolls are still scattered amongst the drawings (more so scribbles) on the floor. Stepping over the mess, I make my way to the corner of the room where a scroll about ¾ of my height rests. Feeling curious, I slowly opened the scroll to find names and handprints printed in blood – a summoning contract scroll.

_Only when you are deemed worthy will you be able to sign your name._

Oto-san's words play in the back of my mind as I continue to gaze at the names. A slip of paper falls over the crimson names. Frowning, I read the names Amarante Kaito (oto-san's name), Amarante Hikari (oka-san's name), Nami... Minato, and U... Kushi... on the paper before flipping it over to see a faded picture of four smiling individuals in their teens. I notice oka-san and oto-san almost immediately, but the other two are unfamiliar to me. The other girl had long, vibrant red hair and deep blue eyes whereas the boy standing next to her had blonde hair and light blue eyes. I hear a sharp intake of breath and turn to see Jiraiya's eyes wide and fixed on the picture in my hands.

"You know those two people?" I ask, noticing a hint of sadness creeping on his face.

He lets out a sigh. "Yeah..." He rubs the back of his neck. "If it's not too much trouble... can I have that picture?"

I lower my gaze to the photo, taking in the smiling faces of my parents. 'So that's what you two looked like... I really do look like you... don't I oka-san?' Swallowing the lump in my throat, I hand him the picture as my eyes land on the names on the summoning scroll.

"I appreciate it." The picture slips through my fingers before I hear a distinct rip.

I snap my gaze over to see the picture ripped in half. "What are-" I try, but he shoves one half of the picture into my face.

"Here, this one's for you." He sends me a cheeky smile.

Blinking in confusion, I take the photo in surprise before sending him a confused glance. "But... why did you rip it?"

"Sorry kid." He rubs the top of my head. "That's just for me to know... but I'm not so much of a bad guy to take something so important from you. I don't make it a hobby to make girls sad." He slips the picture in his vest. "Now about that summoning contract you have there... aren't you going to sign your name? Usually people jump at the chance."

I frown, scanning the unknown names before resting on the one familiar name: Amarante Hikari. The name somehow morphs into Minori before returning to Hikari. Shaking my head, I pass the instance as a trick of the light, but something tells me otherwise.

'Wasn't that woman in my memory named Shizuka, not Hikari... maybe it was a mistake... but I know oto-san's name is Kaito... so then who's Shizuka?'

He leans further on my head, snapping me out of my thoughts. I send him a bland look and swat at his arm, only to earn an amused look in response. "I remember this scroll... Never thought I would see this again."

I blink in surprise. "You knew my parents?"

"Somewhat." He stifles his laughter. "Your mother was _especially_ attached to one of my former students."

I grimace. "Why do I get the feeling I shouldn't ask…"

"It's nothing." He releases a snort before composing himself. "So what are you waiting for? Still not going to sign your name?"

I release a sigh. "I'm not ready. oto-san said I could only do so when I'm ready and as I am right now, I don't think I am. Besides, I don't want to see the guardian that's supposed to teach me a lesson for disobeying." I grimace before noticing Jiraiya grimacing as well.

"I agree…" He shakes his head. "I'll hold onto that scroll for you. Why don't you go meet up with Naruto? There are still some things I need to look into."

"Ahh… alright." I mutter distractedly. "Just... Don't go breaking anything down…" I mumble before heading out - eyes still fixed on the ripped picture in my hands.

**{~}**

-Time skip-

Seeing as I had no idea where Naruto would be, I decide to just roam the streets before searching out his chakra signature. As I walk through the busy streets, I can't help but feel the hateful glares sent my way from the villagers. It seems the news of my identity finally leaked to the public, making me once again one of the most hated ninjas in the village. Great. Just great. Now that I was older, the villagers couldn't hold any power over me; all they could do was send glares my way, not like it was anything new. I must have been lost in my thoughts for too long, seeing as I somehow ended up at training ground 7, the place where Team seven started.

"This is where everything started for all of us…" I run my hand along one of the trees before leaning my forehead against the bark.

I never knew I could be so mentally drained in one day. Ibiki's training was nothing compared to this, but at least his training always had answers…everything right now was still shrouded in mystery. Nothing was clear-cut and it didn't help that things were being kept from me. I suppose there must have been some sort of reason for all this secrecy, but shouldn't I get a say in the matter? Why did people feel like they should dictate my life for me?

'Do they think I'm too young to make my own choices… or are they trying to keep their 'weapon' under control.' I thought sadly. What was I to them… to ojii-san, psycho-sensei, Kaka-sensei, Jiraiya, and Ibiki… was I a weapon they were trying to train to keep in check? No… I was more than that to them right? Ojii-san would protect me as much as he could and even though I don't agree with some of his choices, he was still someone who cared deeply for me. The same could be said for all of them.. even Jiraiya who I've just met recently. Things have changed.. that I can't argue with, but even so, Shika, Sasuke, and Naruto have been there for me. I'm not entirely alone anymore…' The thought caused a small smile to play across my lips.

*crack*

A burning sensation reaches my head, causing me to grip it in pain.

'What's going on… why now?'

_*crack*_

_"This endless cycle… I will put an end to it."_

_*****crack*_

_"You don't understand. If you were to be taken from us it would…-"_

_*crack*_

_"__Don't let it control you! Stop this. Stop -!_**"**

_*crack*_

_"Your oka-san would never blame you for what you did…"_

'What I did..?'

Before I could complete the thought, another wave of pain washes through me.

_*crack*_

_"Riku. Look at me. I won't let you collapse. I will be your support."_

_*****crack*_

_"How could you use her as a sacrifice! She isn't a tool you could just throw away! She's a human-"_

_"Don't lie to yourself. You know as well as I do that she is nothing but a monster… the girl you know will no longer exist once Min- - - - just like her mother."_

_*****crack*_

The pain soon subsides, leaving me on my knees gasping for air. What did all those phrases mean? They came from different people… one of them I recognized… Orochimaru. What was he talking to oka-san with? What did he mean when he said 'just like her mother' when he was talking to her? Who was my pillar of support? His voice was so soothing and familiar, but I couldn't connect it to a name.

*sigh*

"Everything is getting more and more confusing…" I mutter out before closing my eyes, only to snap them back open. There was someone else here… someone masking his or her chakra. Closing my eyes once again, I concentrate on the source. Several feet behind me. No signs of aggression. Merely watching.

* * *

><p><strong>(Unknown's perspective)<strong>

'She must have noticed I was here…'

She remains where she is and just stares blankly at the ground. Her blue hair was tied in pigtails and cascaded down her shoulders. She looked very similar to someone I used to know… but what surprises me is the earring hanging on her right ear. It the exact one the matriarch of the Amarante clan wore.

'So that's her daughter…'

Hikari. That was my friend's name. We lost contact once the clan decided to isolate her as the future matriarch. I heard news of her daughter, but those rumors eventually died off and replaced with the news of a single male survivor of the clan. More rumors were spread when it was revealed that the male was actually a female, specifically Hikari's daughter. I came to Konoha to see if the rumors were true and so it would seem they were. The girl finally gets up from her position and begins to walk away. Not before punching a nearby trunk, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.

'Cheeky brat.'

She already caught my attention, but it seems she's much more interesting than meets the eye. I wouldn't mind staying in this village a little longer now… I glanced at the tree to see sparks of lightning breaking through the remainder of the trunk, eventually causing the tree to topple in my direction.

*tick mark*

Before the tree could make contact, I break it in half with a punch.

"Brat. She left me a farewell gift." I state through clenched teeth. She definitely had qualities from that father of hers.

"Tsunade-sama!"

**{~}**

**(First person perspective-Riku's pov)**

I wanted to make sure the visitor received a proper goodbye after all. I would say I made an impression, but that doesn't really matter. I wasn't going to see the person again so why not?

**{~}**

~Back to the village streets~

It wasn't long before I find Naruto sitting at our favorite ramen stand with a stack of four bowls.

"Yo." I send him a smile. Hearing my voice, he turns to face me, noodles still hanging from his mouth. I point to his mouth and he immediately slurps them in before sending me a goofy smile. I take a seat next to him and order miso ramen.

"Riku. Where were you? I've been looking for you this whole day!" Naruto whines with a slight pout.

"Gomen ne. I guess I lost track of time." I apologize sheepishly.

He pouts. "You're starting to be like Kakashi-sensei." Naruto mutters between slurps.

I laugh. "Guess you're right…"

An awkward silence ensues between the two of us until Ayame hands me my order.

"How come you weren't training with Jiraiya?" I ask between slurps.

His face scrunches into a frown. "He was going to, but then he ran off saying something about research. I couldn't find him after that."

I shake my head. "That sounds like him. Didn't you think about hanging out with Sakura?"

"Ah, I almost forgot!" With a quick gulp - effectively finishing his ramen, Naruto runs out of the stand, telling me how he had to meet Sakura-chan. Seeing as how Naruto left without paying again, I had to pay his share as well.

"Everything is still the same…" I mutter as I walk through the dimming streets of Konoha. The bustling crowds slowly thin out, making most of the streets practically empty. Heaving out a sigh, I slip out the picture of my parents, trying to ingrain all the details into my mind.

"Riku."

Slipping away the picture, I turn around to see Shika looking at me with a slightly worried expression.

I send him an easy-going smile. "Ahh.. what's up?"

He sends me an annoyed glance. "I went to check on you at the hospital, but they said you already checked out. You caused me a lot of trouble baka." He mutters while rubbing the back of his head.

My smile at the thought. 'He was worried…' I muse, noticing his eyes landing on the bandages wrapped around my arms. Even if the burns had healed for the most part, Naruto insisted on leaving them on. The worry wart.

I smile at the unspoken question. "Training." I answer simply.

He nods in understanding, already used to the abuse psycho-sensei has already dealt me in the past.

An awkward silence settles between the two of us, before Shika sighs out.

"It's a full moon tonight. Are you going to be alright this time?" He asks, lowering his gaze to the ground.

Ever since Minori's been around, I noticed how unstable my chakra would become the closer it is to the full moon. Before when this wasn't as large an issue, Anko would take my mind off of it through training, but since she's busy from time to time, I've had to cope with it on my own sometimes. That was not a good idea. Last time that happened, I woke up in the middle of a crater with broken trees littering the floor. I don't recall the whole incident. Everything was mostly a blur. All I could remember were cries and growls.

I chuckle. "I'll be fine." I lie with a smile, knowing how unsettled Shika is at the prospect of me losing control again. I didn't want him to see me in that state. I was vulnerable, but more than that, I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to lose myself and end up hurting someone I cared deeply for. I hope he would just nod and walk away.

'Just say ok… just agree and leave… onegai…'

'_**That isn't what you want… you want him there with you so you wouldn't face me alone right? Why not tell him… what you really want.'**_

'As long as he stays away everything will be fine. As long as he just goes… I won't hurt him…'

'_**You're making this boring you know…'**_

'Deal with it cranky pants.'

'… _**you're come backs are becoming dry…'**_

'You and your personality changes too…'

Shika sends me a skeptical look, but nods his head in response. A sigh of relief escapes my lips, but before I can take a step away, a hand grabs my wrist and pulls me towards a hard chest before a pair of arms encircles my waist - causing my form to suddenly tense.

"Sh-shika?" I stutter out surprised. 'Damn it why am I even stuttering…'

"How troublesome. For a ninja, you're a horrible liar." He grumbles bitterly. "I'm not oblivious like Naruto. Don't you get it...? I know you're trying to drive me away to help me, but you're just doing the opposite. Figure it out baka."

"Nani?" I mutter out confused. I slowly lift my head up to see a new expression on Shika's face. His expression holds frustration, but his eyes hold a type of emotion I can't very well grasp. What was that? Longing? Fear? Hurt?

'What's going on?'

A soft sigh escapes his lips as his arms slacken against my waist. "How troublesome...just forget it." He releases me from his hold and takes a step back while rubbing the back of his head. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing." Frustration could be seen across his face, but it seems as if he was trying to calm himself down.

"Look. Promise me you won't do anything reckless tonight. I wouldn't want to see you in the hospital complaining about the lack of freedom and horrible food again. You almost took my ear off that time, troublesome woman."

I scoff. "Oi that wasn't my fault. Psycho-sensei was trying to kill me that time!" I reply in mock anger.

"Sure it was." He mumbles. "I'll see you around."

With that, he begins to walk away after sending me a warning gaze that tried to say: 'Don't do anything reckless baka.'

'What was that all about…'

'_**You're so oblivious that it's just sad to watch…'**_

'Oh yeah… you're still here. What do you mean I'm oblivious?'

'_**Exactly what I said. Why can't you see what's directly in front of you?'**_

After several minutes of watching his retreating back, I suddenly remember that I still had other things to do.

'_**I didn't mean literally look straight ahead… *sigh* but it seems we still have a game we must get back to. How will you fare tonight?'**_

I can almost see the smirk forming on her lips, but I wasn't one to give up so easily. Night is quickly approaching and the moon is slowly becoming visible in the dark-clad sky.

"Let the game begin."

* * *

><p><strong>(Third person perspective)<strong>

As night finally envelopes the village, Riku rummages through the scrolls in her book shelf before finally finding the right one. A pained expression enters her face before coughs rack her body. Uncovering her hand from her mouth, Riku stares down sadly at the black-speckled blood coating her hand, effectively staining the bandages.

Somewhat nearby, Dosu slowly approaches Riku's apartment in hopes of achieving a simple kill. From his experience in the Forest of Death, Dosu knew he wouldn't have a chance against the blue-haired kunoichi without the element of surprise on his side. What he didn't expect is the appearance of a certain red-haired sand genin gazing curiously at the blue-haired kunoichi from a nearby roof.

"This was unexpected…" Dosu mutters out into the wind. "Do you not sleep?"

"What do you want?" Gaara asks harshly.

"I was thinking of killing that girl over there, but seeing as you're already here, why not defeat you as well. That way I'll have a higher chance of fighting Sasuke-kun. It's just like killing two birds with one stone."

Gaara's eyes narrow at the mention of the blue-haired girl - his prey.

"I know of your sand attacks, but I wonder…what is faster: your sand or my sound?" He states smugly as he reveals his gauntlet. Gaara's face remains emotionless as the surrounding wind begins to pick up.

"When there is a full moon… his blood gets excited…"

Long shadows overcome the area as Gaara's form is encased in a layer of sand. A single tail appears and vanishes as the creature charges toward Dosu.

"Nani... what are you?" Dosu's eye visibly widens, but before he can make a move to escape, he is already dead.

Gaara reverts back to normal, panting as he gazes blankly at Dosu's bloodied corpse. He slowly staggers up before placing his gaze on Riku. Her body shakes violently and sparks of lightning radiate from her body in waves. Her chakra suddenly spikes, causing the girl to slump down on the ground. Gaara continues to watch, suddenly interested in the unusual chakra radiating off of his prey.

"What an amusing toy…" He mutters as he watches the girl stagger up – still radiating off waves of purple lightning. She manages to dismiss the lightning encircling her body and begins to head toward the forest. Curious of her unusual behavior, Gaara follows close behind her, eventually stopping at a reclusive section of the training grounds.

"Stop it…" The girl pants out as she slumps against a nearby tree. The lightning reappears, clawing violently at her bandaged arms – reopening the once healed injuries. Gaara's eyes become glazed over as a yellow hue leaks into his irises. The blood… her blood calls out to him, but even so, he can't allow his monster to take over…not yet. Her chakra suddenly spikes once again, causing lightning to break apart the ground surrounding her. Trees are uprooted, creating a thick cloud of dust. Once it settles, all that could be seen around her is destruction. The ground was in shambles and ashes. Blood was beginning to pool around the ground as the girl continues to relentlessly shatter the ground with her fists. Panting and shaking, Riku finally slumps back on the ground with a glazed look in her silver eyes. Her chakra begins to fall back to normal as her form falls backwards into the rubble.

The ring around her neck glows an eerie red, signaling the gem's close proximity. Still craving her blood, Gaara makes his way towards her before finally knelling in front of her fallen form. Her blood-stained bandages send jolts through his body, calling out for his other self.

He takes out the crystal, noticing how the strange chakra pulsates in the air. Curious, he places the gem back in the ring, causing a sudden spike in her chakra before it immediately subsides once again. Putting that occurrence behind him, he orders his sand to lap up the blood she so carelessly discarded on the ground – only to find that the more blood he devoured, the more he craved. His sand begins to wrap around her wrists, forcing more of her blood to flow out of her arms. A pained expression creeps on her face, but Gaara pays no mind.

"I need more… I need more of her…" Gaara mutters out darkly. Before he can make another move towards Riku, he notices her eyes slowly opening – revealing her broken silver eyes. Her eyes hold a myriad of emotions: pain, sorrow, confusion, compassion, and fear…it was always fear… Her silver orbs fall upon Gaara's aquamarine ones, locking their gazes in place. It didn't take long for her to realize her predicament- sand wrapping around her forearms and throat, but she doesn't show any signs of acknowledgement. What surprises him the most is the next words that escape from her lips.

"Gomen ne… I never meant to hurt you… that's why I'm like this right? Because I hurt you." She lets out a scoff. "How... pathetic..."

Silence falls between the two. Gaara's sand slowly unwraps from her throat, but remains around her bloodied forearms.

"Why?" Gaara mutters out.

She sends him a curious glance. "Why what?"

"Why are you not afraid? Why are you like this?" Gaara growls out angrily, causing the sand to wrap around her forearms tighter – drawing out more of her blood.

"Afraid?" She smiles bitterly. "I'm not... because I can't be and I know you won't kill me because we're the same." She stops as she feels Gaara's hands clenching her throat.

"Don't assume you know me. You're just my prey… a toy I can kill whenever I wish. You are nothing like me…"

His grip on her throat tightens, causing Riku to release a gasp in surprise. Gaara merely smirks in response, relishing in the pain of his cornered prey; however, as his grip continues to tighten, he notices the girl's solemn smile. She refuses to push him away or attack – an action she could very well do. Without warning, one of her hands reaches Gaara's face, caressing it as if to say that 'it's alright.' The action stuns him, causing him to abruptly release her throat. She shouldn't have been able to touch him. Why did his sand allow her to? Gasps of air could be heard from under him.

"Why didn't you fight back?" He growls out in anger. Nothing about her made sense to him, but that is what intrigues him to no end. What a foolish kunoichi.

"Because I wasn't in real danger." Riku mutters out as she allows the oxygen to refill her lungs. "I've been tortured by my own village… this was nothing compared to that… Besides, I won't die. Not yet."

Confusion reflects in his eyes, but he remains silent as he gets off of her waist. "You're eyes are not the same." He mutters as he gets up.

"Nani?" Riku mutters out surprised as she gets up as well.

"Your eyes… they're different." He replies as his gaze wanders down to her wrists. Her blood had already dried, leaving crusty streaks in its wake. Riku takes a moment to follow his gaze until she notices her blood-stained bandages and the partially destroyed forest. Fear takes over her eyes, causing Gaara to follow her gaze at the destroyed area.

'She's the same…' Gaara thought. She possessed something that was out of her control. She was alone…surrounded by those who hated and feared her, yet she still had people who cared about her. It angered him. She was his… his possession… not anyone else's. He makes a move to touch the girl, but before he could make contact, someone else's voice echoes through the forest.

"Riku?"

Riku turns around, almost flinching at the harsh glare directed to the boy behind her.

"Sasuke?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think the Gaara scene turned out well this time around. I felt that since I was working out the relationships between the characters, I wanted to do a small scene with all the possible guys Riku could end up with just to confuse her more. She's really oblivious at times, but I suppose that applies to Naruto as well. xD Tell me what you think and if I should change how I set up the character development scenes. This chapter is a bit shorter than I would like, but it's still pretty long in my opinion. I'm still not sure who Riku should end up with so I'll just start a poll now. (should have done this sooner, but better late than never.) Leave a review on who you want Riku to end up with, or just leave a comment. I always love reading reviews. Until next time..<strong>

**Ja ne~**

**{~}**

Sasuke x Riku

Naruto x Riku

Shikamaru x Riku

Gaara x Riku

Shikamaru x Riku x Gaara

Sasuke x Riku x Shikamaru

Naruto x Riku x Gaara

(if you want any other possible pairings, leave a message)

**{~}**

**(Edited 8/24/14): Changes have been made in the interactions and a small scene between Jiraiya and Riku was added.**


	16. Chapter 16: Newfound Hope and Training

-Chapter 16: Newfound Hope and Training-

**AN: I had a bit of troubling thinking up of some of the ideas in this chapter, but I finally figured it out. This chapter is pretty slow moving, so please bear with me. It mostly explains where things are, so some of the riddles are a answered in this chapter. I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. It means a lot to me. :3**

**Special thanks to ****RMB1993****, ****Rose Takamora,****Shioiri Kenen****, and ****Thunder of Life**** for reviewing the last chapter.**

**Mini note:**** If anyone has any ideas they want to see or any specific relationship scenes, then feel free to message me or leave a review and I'll try to add it into the story.**

**{~}**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

'_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p>'<em>Life at any time may become difficult. Life at any time may become easy. Good or bad, they are seasons of life. It all depends upon how you take on life and adjust to the seasons.'<em>

_~Unknown_

"_**At times it feels like everything is crashing down, while other times feel simply perfect. But if it is really perfect then why do I feel like something … someone is missing… who am I forgetting? My memories keep coming back… but why did they go missing in the first place?"**_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

* * *

><p><strong>(Third person perspective)<strong>

Sasuke doesn't respond, only stalking forward with a murderous glare fixed on Gaara's seemingly apathetic expression. The sound of crunching leaves is the only thing breaking through the stiffening silence. Gaara matches the glare with ease, finding it lacking in malice before fingering a strand of Riku's loose hair and noticing in interest the growing anger leaking to the surface of Sasuke's eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke bites out, pulling Riku away from Gaara's grasps and behind him. Gaara doesn't respond immediately, rather he merely stares at the hand that once held the long strands of midnight blue hair.

Casting a glance behind him, Sasuke notices the reddened skin in the shape of handprints on her throat along with the dried blood snaking around her arms. As the observations sink in, his eyes further narrow. Coal eyes lock with aquamarine as a silent exchange passes between the two – both silently challenging the other. Nothing else is spoken. Seconds tick by into minutes and still nothing is exchanged until finally Gaara recalls his sand.

"None of your concern." Gaara responds evenly before making a move to leave, but not before stealing one last glance at Riku.

_You're mine._

He mouths before leaving the area with a small smirk as his eyes take on a yellow hue. His form quickly disappears in a whirlwind of sand, leaving the two leaf ninjas to their own devices. All is silent until Sasuke turns around to fix his glare at Riku.

"What were you thinking?" He growls through clenched teeth. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Anger radiates off of him in waves, but upon closer inspection Riku notices the small twinge of concern hidden beneath the anger. At the revelation, she lets out a laugh, which catches him off guard.

"Gomen ne. I can't help it." She replies when her laughs finally die out. "I just thought it was cute for you to be worried about me." She observes smugly.

He scoffs, letting go of her wrist to stuff his hands into his pockets. "Who said I was worried." He replies gruffly, shoving the remaining anger down. 'As long as she's fine... it doesn't matter.'

"You're still worried Sasu-chan~" Riku sings, causing Sasuke to send a half-hearted glare. "But to be honest, I don't remember how I ended up here or when Gaara showed up. It's the full moon tonight after all… so I'm not entirely here." She explains, tapping her temple with a sardonic smile. "Hazy memory and whatnot… but I know I came out here to make sure I won't hurt anyone. Next thing knew, Gaara was over me. He looked hurt I think…" Riku trails off as she looks down at her arms. "I don't know what he was doing to me or what I did to him… but I'm not going to lie and tell you were just friendly to each other." I let out several chuckles. "Ah, doesn't work that way and no, I wasn't scared." She adds, cutting off Sasuke's retort. "I forgot how to be scared of dying a long time ago." She smiles in amusement. "Just like that old prune wanted. I bet he'd be proud to hear that." She finishes before noticing Sasuke's clenched hands and sighing softly. "It's nothing for you to be upset over." She murmurs softly, only aggravating him further with her blasé attitude.

He scoffs. 'Upset? No. More like frustrated. You just don't get it - how easily he could have killed you then and there and if I hadn't come... what would he have done to you?' He grits his teeth at the thought. 'No self-preservation... just like always... guess I can't leave you out of my sight for a moment. You're as bad as Naruto.' He muses bitterly. "The dobe must be rubbing off on you. We didn't save you that day for you to be some glorified meat shield." He scoffs before sending her a wry glance. "You're not stupid enough to think anyone will accept that so why bother lying?"

With a wry smile, she hums in acceptance, knowing he's referring to her little speech before her match. 'He must have heard it from someone...' She concludes.

"Then call me a fool. After all, that's what you're going to call me anyway, ne?" She goads, holding up her arm to show him the faded burns.

Sighing, he murmurs a soft "baka" before gently taking her wrist in his grasps. "Hn… I can't believe I'm doing this again. Haven't you learned anything since the day we became genin?" He takes out a roll of bandages.

She shrugs. "I have. Just never bothered with this. It'll heal on its own anyway."

He sends her a bland look before wordlessly applying some healing salve on the burns before wrapping her arm, knowing they would otherwise be left as they are in her care. Picking up her other wrist, he gently repeats the process, coating the burns with the salve.

'Geez... what's with him?' She sends him an uncomfortable glance, squirming at the feather-light touches coating her skin. 'Acting like this...' She shifts her gaze to the side. 'It's not you...'

Tightening his grip on her wrist, he murmurs, "Stop squirming," not once stopping his work.

She sends him a bland look. "It feels weird," she defends, earning a scoff in response.

"Hn."

'Translation: Suck it up.' She thought with an eye roll. 'Now that's just like him...'

Pushing the thought aside, she brings a water-coated hand to her throat with the intent of healing, only to pull back with a hiss. Wrenching her arm free from Sasuke's grasps, she tentatively covers her throat as coughs rack her body.

Specks of black-speckled blood spatter onto the ground before the coughs finally subside. Wiping the stray blood from her mouth, she hesitantly faces Sasuke to see a disturbingly blank face.

"You're deteriorating." He utters softly.

She matches his gaze evenly before shaking her head. 'He can't know… so how…'

"You're such a horrible liar. It's pathetic." He grabs her wrists, using enough force to pry them away from her throat without causing her any pain. Eyeing the damage, his face slowly slips into a scowl

"Hn. So you're telling me that you're currently in your best shape? What a joke." His glare intensifies. "That bastard..." He growls out before leaning in closer to get a better look. His eyes catch the bruises, the lacerations marring not only her throat but all over her body. 'So you're saying this is ok just because it'll heal? What's wrong with you? Did you forget everything w- I said?!' He tightens him grip for a moment before it loosens. 'Like all that matters now... I doubt you remember anyway.' He thought almost bitterly.

"Just settling again... heh... you haven't changed..." He chuckles softly. "Still can't let you out of my sight, baka."

Despite the situation, she smiles in relief, knowing he wasn't hinting at her body's literal deterioration. "Ah, sad ne?" She jests before her limbs lock. 'Damn... now?' Gritting her teeth, she fights against the clawing urge in her mind begging for release, telling her to succumb to the madness. 'What horrible timing.'

As her shaking increases, his expression drops. "Oi, what's wrong?"

She shakes her head. 'You really shouldn't have come here...' Her breaths shorten, becoming shallow and labored. Chuckling bitterly, she pants, "R-run. D-don't …look back."

Not waiting for a response, she shoves him away with a grim smile, feeling the growing burn against her neck as a cage of purple lightning surrounds her. Not long after, her eye bleeds into crimson. 'Again huh...' She muses bitterly, feeling the lightning breaking down more of the cells in her body. Gripping her chest in pain, she feels the churning bile rise up her throat before coughs rack her already trembling body. Chunks of flesh mixed with black-speckled blood pool on the ground before the coughs finally subside, and she shakily wipes the remaining blood with the back of her hand. 'It's gotten far worse...heh, I guess lasting another year's too optimistic.' She muses bitterly before lifting her head to see Sasuke eyeing the pool of blood in growing horror.

She smiles sadly, knowing there's no way to lie her way past the blood pile before her. 'I doubt you remember my clan's curse... but I can't have you figuring it out now.'

She sends him an amused glance. "Oi. Don't tell me… you're hard of hearing. I told you to run. You know what it… means right? … Oh great Uchiha…?" She releases a humorless laugh as the light blue scales creep over her arms and legs.

'_**Don't let him come any closer!' **_Minori shouts within the recesses of Riku's mind.

Riku grimaces, feeling an additional strain constricting her body. 'He won't hurt me.'

'_**He has that wretched man in him! If it weren't for me, he would still be somewhere in your mind as well. Don't let my efforts go to waste.'**_

She mentally scoffs. 'Orochimaru huh? He's not here. Sasuke isn't him, and he wouldn't hurt me. You know that.'

'_**You're too naïve! They're the same. He's going to betray you and go to that snake! Don't let him come any closer. He's just going to hurt you in the end!' **_Minori growls.

Riku chuckles in amusement. 'Then let him. I don't care. If it really does come to that... well, that's when this game no longer becomes a game, whatever the consequence.' She vows, noticing the growing anger slamming against her mind.

'_**Stop trying to lie to yourself child, but why not humor your little wish….'**_

The lightning becomes more violent, lashing out at anything nearby before surging at Sasuke. He looks on in surprise, but his expression soon morphs into a scowl as he rolls away.

"Tch, baka! Who said I'm running."

She looks at him in surprise before smiling softly. "Baka… "

'You just can't let things go... can you?' She muses bitterly. 'Still so damn stubborn, Sasu-chan.'

Minori's chuckles echo in her mind, reminding Riku once again of her existence. '_**If you really wanted to let him in, you wouldn't be attacking him right now. Your element listens to your emotions… your deepest feelings… what you see before you is what you're really want. Do you still deny it?' **_

'Ah... Like hell it does.' She takes a step forward, only to collapse in a crumpled heap. Gnashing her teeth together, she glances up to see Sasuke dodging the lightning, noticing in growing concern the fatigue showing on his face. 'He won't last much longer… he just got out from the hospital after all.' She realizes - trying to push herself back up only to fall back on all fours as the lightning pierces through her calves, shackling her legs to the ground.

*gasp*

'_**What's wrong? Can't get up? If you want to stop this, you better stop yourself. It doesn't look like he can last much longer dear.'**_

Digging her claws into the dirt, Riku releases a low growl. 'Arigato for the reminder.' She thought sarcastically before glancing up to Sasuke. 'Guess there's no other way then.' She muses as she does her best to internally reroute the lightning flowing through her - feeling more of her body corroding away.

"Sasuke!"

At the sound of her voice, he turns his attention to Riku to see a small smirk appearing on her lips. "Whatever happens, don't you dare come any closer… Got that?"

Not waiting for a response, water gathers between her cupped hands before solidifying into a large rod. With a grunt, she stabs it into the ground, earning herself a confused glance before it fades away into panic.

The pole was acting as a lightning rod, preventing any from reaching him at the cost of damaging the wielder – Riku.

"Baka!"

Sasuke's voice rings through the area; however, before he can close the distance between them, a shadowed figure appears, sending a wall of wind towards her – effectively dispelling the lightning until it fades into dying sparks.

Riku chuckles bitterly. "Ojii-san." She acknowledges, not sparing a glance to the figure behind her.

The Hokage looks at her sadly before shifting his attention to Sasuke. "Sasuke, I believe it is time for you to go back to the hospital."

Taking the cue, Kakashi silently lands next to Sasuke, sending Riku a solemn glance before turning his attention back to Sasuke. "Training will begin tomorrow, Sasuke. Get some rest at the hospital before then. No excuses."

Defiance lights up Sasuke's face, but one look at Kakashi forces him to swallow his words, seeing as he would have lost the argument regardless of his attempts. Sending a forced nod, Sasuke makes his way back to the hospital with Kakashi in tow, but not before sending one final glance at Riku's crippled form – noticing with mounting anger the lacerations, the bruises, the blood, all coating her skin.

He didn't know why, but he was just angry with her. No. It wasn't really anger. It was some emotion he couldn't name. Was it something he didn't know or was it something he just didn't want to accept? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that Riku needed someone, but he wasn't the one she needed. Even though he knew that, he couldn't help but feel annoyed at that thought, for there was only one other person who could have calmed her down – the one man he truly despises: Itachi.

**Poor girl…she's still tied down by your brother's seal.**

Orochimaru's words play in the back of his mind as he sends one last glare at her seal before forcing his gaze forward.

'Itachi… Why did you seal away her memories? What were you trying to hide? After the Amarante clan massacre, you knew she was still alive… why did you hide her from me? What did you have to gain?'

He clenches his hands.

'Everything was his fault. All my suffering and pain… it was all Itachi's fault. But why… why was… is he the only one of us who could help her… why was it just him…?' He thought in growing agitation. 'And all that blood... what exactly is going on with her? She didn't even look surprised by it at all. It can't just be a relapse from her match...'

"Gomen ne." She whispers, only to receive a glare in response. She didn't blame him for that reaction; she knew he understood that lack of control, but at the same time, she knew he was angry with himself for not being able to stop her, save her, just help her… after all, that was what he promised himself – to be her protector, even though it was a simple wish he had when he was a child. It was one of the few things he had left from his past, one of the few happy remnants that is.

She releases a sigh, silently happy Sasuke had yet to confront her on her body's deterioration. It would only further complicate things.

Kakashi merely lets out a troubled sigh as he glances between the two genin as he walks Sasuke back to the hospital. He knew things might be a bit difficult today, seeing as it was a full moon; however, he didn't expect Sasuke to escape the hospital this early and run into Riku no less... not to mention her relapse (if it can be called that). The deterioration had progressed much further in only a day's time and if things continue as they are...

He shakes his head at the thought, feeling almost helpless in the situation. 'It's been a while since I've felt this way. I can't say I miss it.' He muses. 'What exactly is running through your head right now...? Just then, your expression... it was just like Rin's...' A deep pang hits his heart as he tightens his hands into fists. Sighing deeply, he focuses his gaze to the ground. 'I hope I'm wrong, but...'

_"… I don't want the others to see me like this… I want them to remember me as their friend – the sarcastic, somewhat over-the-top, cross dresser."_

__"Someone will have to put me down then. I trust you to do that for me if it comes to that."__

"Just like her..." He murmurs to himself. 'Rin... were those your thoughts as well?' Loosening the grip on his hands, he lets out another sigh. 'Things are meant to follow an ongoing cycle... those were your words, Hikari. I never understood them until now... how painful it is, but you said there was a way to break it. What was it?'

He shakes his head.

'The more we find out about her past, the more questions keep popping up. Is there something I keep overlooking? I guess it's in the Hokage's hands now…' Kakashi thought as he rubbed the back of his neck in growing agitation. At this point, all he can do for her was support her from afar as the Hokage suggested. After all, Riku would never willingly ask for help.

'She's just like how you were, Hikari…' Kakashi thought as he looked up towards the full moon. 'Like mother, like daughter I suppose.'

Riku continues to gaze at the two retreating figures before slumping forward when they're out of sight, finally giving into the physical stress from her body's deterioration. She lets out a bitter laugh. "You said a year at best Ojii-san... at this rate, it's no where near that long... not by a long shot." She informs in sick amusement. "You knew that though... didn't you?"

He doesn't answer, only lowering his hat further over his face.

"Ah..." She takes the silence as her answer as she focuses on the pool of lightning-laced blood before her. "The council must be getting anxious then... what are they going to do with the last heir of the demonic clan? A scapegoat? A political bargaining chip? A genetic pool to conduct scientific experiments? Or will they just off me and relieve me from this so-called suffering?" She muses wryly, noticing in bitter resentment the slight crack in her voice as she lists off the possibilities.

"Riku. You mustn't-" Sarutobi warns, but she cuts him off.

"Ojii-san... you can't protect me from them forever." Using the pole as her support, she wobbles to her feet, still not turning around. "A lone survivor from a prominent, yet feared ostracized clan - that's me. Even if they feared us... they respected our power and that is why they tolerated me all these years, especially when I nearly slaughtered those shinobi. I was a valuable asset, a valued weapon." She adds wryly. '...and I gladly accepted it as long as I could protect Naruto.'

He doesn't respond, and she takes this as a cue to continue.

"As I am now... I am a liability and a lingering threat - something they cannot allow to survive if it persists." She chuckles darkly. "Knowing them, they're going to want another heir before I kick the bucket - as soon as possible really - and with the weakened medical staff we currently have, there's only two options they're going to give me - neither of which I will accept." Her hands tremble as she tightens her grip on the ice. "You can only deter them for so long before they grow impatient and then..." She trails off as a pained smile enters her face. "...well, game over."

She turns around to face the Hokage, noticing his shadowed face and clenched hands. "I'm not a novice in this village's system, Ojii-san. There's only so much you can do, even if you are the Hokage and that's why I decided to do things my way, regardless of the consequences. I'm moving the pieces to achieve my end and to give Naruto the best route possible. He deserves that much." Her gaze softens. "I appreciate everything you've done to protect me from Danzo... the council... everyone that's wanted me dead, but people can be cruel." She chuckles dryly before sending Sarutobi a reassuring smile. "Like you said to me before about Naruto... I need to walk on my own two feet and grow - grow strong enough to protect my light. I know I won't be able to do things on my own at times, and that's why I hope you'll still be there to help me from time to time."

He doesn't respond for several seconds before pained laughs escape his lips. "I see... it seems you've grown as well. I'm afraid this old man has been rather attached to the past." He folds his arms behind his back. "I've known all this time that you've been able to fight for the things you desire, especially when it comes to Naruto." He adds with a smile. "I won't change your mind, but I'll offer you a warning. The council isn't one to be trifled with and when the time comes where I won't be able to support you, there will be someone else in my place. I won't allow them to use a child for their own selfish means - never again." He vows, earning a troubled look from Riku. He continues regardless. "As for your memories... if you are still persistent about recovering them, I would advise you to tread carefully. There are things that are better left forgotten. Things that are remembered cannot be erased and things forgotten can save as well as destroy a life. Now, I have found some information on your demon and some …other aspects, but now is not the time to reveal them. I promise you I will tell you everything after the Chunin exams, but this is what I can tell you now: be true to who you are. Don't lose yourself in your search. I care about you like you're my own granddaughter, and I hope you know this Riku." A smile stretches across his worn face.

Smiling, she sends Sarutobi an appreciative glance. "I understand Ojii-san. I won't let anything happen to my friends. Not without a fight."

Sarutobi can't help but smile wider in response. Who knew the broken girl he helped saved that day would slowly develop into a beautiful girl. She's a spitting image of Hikari, but it seems she obtained Kaito's attitude and determination… as well as his madness. When that thought crosses his mind, he furrows his brows as he searches for any signs of it in the depths of her eyes. Nothing. She's still the same. The madness had yet to take hold.

A sad smile crosses his face. 'Such a grim fate... but I will keep protecting her as long as I can. Even if she's learning to trust others, she still prevents others from treading on matters too close to the corruption painting this world - such is the nature of a shadow as her clan calls it. To coexist so closely to the light, yet remain so vastly separated - what a cruel reality. I pray to see her break away from this mindset, but I do not have much longer to live. That is merely how things are... I've already accepted it once I learned of Orochimaru's appearance.' Sarutobi thought. 'Everything will be fine... Minori will take care of her from there… after all, it was Hikari's will… and not just her... there will be two others... She will be safe.'

"Just watch. One day I'll be able to show you just how strong I am." Riku vows before embracing him around the waist. "I won't back down anymore. I promise."

He smiles softly at the girl before returning the embrace. "I know you will. As long as you keep that fire that burns so strongly in this village... you will. That is the Will of Fire."

He tightens his grip around her. 'Just a little longer... I just need to delay the council just a little longer... for her sake and Naruto's.'

* * *

><p>-Time skip-<p>

~Mindscape~

Riku continues wandering the tundra, taking in the melting snow before fixing her eyes on the frozen pillar coming into view and noticing the new cracks marring the ice's surface. The crackling vines chip the pillar piece by piece, but unlike last time, the figure inside the ice is gone.

"Minori?" Riku calls out before glancing around to locate said girl, only to find nothing. Stopping in front of the ice, she trails her fingers across the scratched surface before the vines wrap around her form and slam her into the ice.

Growling, Riku pushes herself away, only for it to slam her back onto the ice and further cracking it. Gritting her teeth at the bone-crushing hold of the seemingly flimsy vines, she tries again before seeing the image of a black-haired, crimson-eyed girl mirroring her actions. Confused, Riku stares at the image, watching as a trail of blood runs down the girl's temple before she opens her mouth in a silent scream.

"Oi!" Riku slams her hands on the ice in an attempt to reach the girl only for the image to disappear. Jolts of fear, anger, and sadness rush through her before her lightning shreds away the binds into withering black wisps. Clutching her left eye, she staggers back away from the ice, still feeling the lingering anger and sadness in her system.

'Who was that… that girl… she's the one from oka-san's story… but that was just a story right?'

"_**So you're back."**_

Riku turns around to see a girl who could have passed as her twin. "Minori. You're out of the ice?" She asks, despite having the answer already before her.

"_**Only for a moment. It's only temporary, seeing as I have to go back to my cage soon. But...you seem to be getting some answers to your questions." **_A solemn smile crosses Minori's face as she closes her eyes, causing Riku to furrow her brows at the seemingly alien expression. _**"Free yourself from your doubts and chain up your true self. Undo the chains to find a sleeping monster. When the time is right… you will understand everything." **_Minori's eyes slowly open, revealing slitted crimsons eyes. _**"You still have so much to learn… little one. Your time is running out, but don't think for a second that I will let my other self die. The game is still on; you better hurry before I'm forced to take over. What fun that will be."**_

Minori's hair turns black for several moments before returning to its normal blue. 'That appearance… why is it so familiar?'

Shaking her head of those thoughts, Riku sends Minori an amused glance. "Ah, I'm not planning to lose this game. Bring it on."

Minori shakes her head. "_**You're so much like Hikari… she said those same words. Try not to disappoint me again and cave so soon like last night." **_She finishes smugly.

Riku scoffs. "I won't, but now I wonder how you know so much about oka-san. What else are you keeping from me?"

A small chuckle escapes Minori's lips as a demonic smile spreads across her face. _**"More than you would believe. Only when you are ready will the truth be revealed. You're still just an ignorant little girl. Learn to grow up will you?"**_

Before she can retort, Riku sees her surroundings fading out. "Just when things were getting interesting…" She murmurs with a wry smile.

**{~}**

~Riku's room~

**(First person perspective)**

I open my eyes to see the first rays of the morning leaking through the curtains, causing me to drape my right arm over my eyes to get them used to the light. After my little conversation in the forest with Ojii-san, I managed to make it home in one piece without any problems from Minori. What surprised me was that even though she was fighting me from the inside, she was still trying to warn me about the future. If she really wanted to be free, then why is she helping the very person imprisoning her? It doesn't make any sense.

'Minori… she knows about oka-san and they appear to have some sort of bond, but how deep does that bond run? What does that have to do with me…? One minute she's trying to make me lose control and the next minute she's almost… protecting me… maybe I'm reading too much into this…'

I lift my arm away from my eyes to examine the unraveling bandages, giving me clear view of the unblemished skin despite yesterday's incident. Memories from last night flash though my eyes before a single word escapes my lips.

"Sasuke…"

My expression drops. 'Betraying the village and abandoning everyone... me included. All for the sake of revenge...' I muse before letting out a deep sigh. 'As of now... he's lost some interest in it.'

'_**People change. Don't let the present fool you.' **_Minori's voice echoes in my mind.

I smile wryly. 'Huh. You seem like you're talking from experience.'

'… _**You could say that.'**_

'He could be different. You never know.'

'_**You're a fool.'**_

'Takes one to know one.' I scoff. 'If it comes to it, then I'll finally get serious. The so-called game... just ends.' I muse, disliking the bitter taste in my mouth at the term. 'How odd...'

'_**Your naivety never ceases to amaze me.' **_Minori deadpans. _**'Still, if that is what you wish, who am I to stop you? Don't regret your risks... especially the ones you're making for that Naruto boy." ** _

Smiling wryly, I grasp the ring hanging around my neck. 'As long as he's safe, I'm willing to do almost anything. That's what I vowed a long time ago.'

'_**Again with that stupid logic of yours. You still have a long ways to go, little one. I can't believe you can't see what's in front of you. Not literally speaking baka. You're so oblivious that it's not even funny anymore.'**_

I roll my eyes. 'I am not that oblivious. At least I can tell when there's someone near me and not get stuck in traps.'

'_**That's not what I meant…'**_

'Then why not enlighten me oh great wise one?' I add with dripping sarcasm.

'..._**You're just mocking me now aren't you?' **_

I smile in amusement. 'I'm not talking to anyone else now am I?'

_***sigh* 'I'm going back to sleep.'**_

Minori's voice quickly fades back into the recesses of my mind, leaving me to my prior thoughts. I glance down at the ring and notice how the gem is back in place, though cracked.

'When did I get this back? It's so damaged too… someone must have put it back for me… but then that would mean it was Gaara…' I furrow my brows in confusion. 'Why did he have it in the first place?'

More questions swim around in my head, but it isn't until I looked at the clock did I notice the time. "Huh... it's almost time for training."

**{~}**

-Time skip-

-Training area near waterfall-

Lying on the grass, I continue to stare up at the sky before releasing a sigh. 'It's been two hours... how can Jir- ...wait scratch that... how long can those damn girls just splash water at each other?' I thought in annoyance before flicking my gaze to the right to see Naruto hunched together with a scowl on his face. "Is he still at it?"

"Yeah..." Naruto mutters in growing annoyance as he glares at Jiraiya's head.

I send him a bland look. "You know your glares can't light up the back of his head right?"

Groaning, he stands up. "I know that! I just want him to start training us already." Naruto pouts as he crosses his arms.

*sigh* I rub the back of my head. "You know how to get his attention right? Who knew your peeping days would come in handy." I grumble out before releasing a sigh. "I'm only letting you do that jutsu just this once alright?"

He sends me a confused look before his face lights up in understanding.

"Yatta!" Naruto does a fist pump before using his jutsu to transform into a developed female version of himself to get Jiraiya's attention.

"Please look this way already." Naruto pleads. "If you help us with your training, I'll do something really nice for you… so please."

I send the two a bland look, not believing the implied crap Naruto's promising, even if it is a joke.

"So you've finally appeared… I've been waiting for you!" Jiraiya quickly turns around only to have disappointment written all over his face when he sees Naruto instead of the 'girl.'

*tick mark*

Eye twitching, he sends Naruto an annoyed look. "Are you... toying with me?"

I scoff. "Right back at you." I jab with a smirk before jumping to my feet. "Seeing as you're already here, why not help us train ne?" I ask, hooking my thumbs in my pockets.

Jiraiya's shoulders slump when he notices the swimsuit-clad girls leaving the river. Sighing, he sends us a tired glance. "Okay… Naruto, I'm going to teach you a move first."

Naruto sends him a skeptical glance. "Are you really going to?"

"Do you remember the two types of chakra I talked to you about yesterday?" Jiraiya continues without any acknowledgement to Naruto's last statement.

"Yesterday?" I repeat in confusion. ' I guess I missed something…'

Jiraiya waves me off. "Don't worry about it. You weren't here when we talked about it, but Naruto was basically talking about red and blue chakra." He explains before turning to Naruto once again.

I hum in thought. 'So he's talking about the Kyuubi's chakra…'

Naruto sends Jiraiya a blank look. "Oh yeah. What about it?"

"When you gained enormous power, you said it was red chakra right?" Jiraiya prompts.

Naruto nods. "Yeah, it felt like that."

"Try and mold some of that red chakra now."

Naruto screws his face in thought. "Even if you tell me, I don't think… But I can try."

I watch Naruto mold his chakra and see a light blue sheen enveloping his form. 'It doesn't seem like it's working… the only time I remember him using it was when we thought Haku killed Sasuke… but does that mean I tapped into Minori's chakra supply then too? I frown at that thought, finding it unlikely, seeing as mine wasn't red like Naruto's. It was a dark purple if I remember correctly. That was probably just the berserker state mixed with the lightning element, but does the berserker state have anything to do with Minori?'

After several seconds, Naruto allows his hands to fall to his sides before releasing a sigh – breaking me out of my thoughts.

"So?" Jiraiya asks.

Naruto frowns. "It's different. It was my usual chakra."

Jiraiya lets out a disappointed sigh. "Geez, you have no talent at all."

*tick mark* "Don't act so bossy! I don't understand the two chakra thing anyway!"

"Just keep trying." Jiraiya deadpans.

Gulping, Naruto freezes at the serious look and resumes his attempts, only to stop several seconds later.

"It's not working at all… I can only mold normal chakra. Oi Ero-sannin, how are the red chakra and the move you're going to teach me related to each other?" Naruto asks.

"Listen, boy." Jiraiya points his fingers at Naruto's face. "The move I'm about to teach you can't be used with your current amount of chakra." He pushes Naruto back with one of his fingers, causing Naruto to flail as he tries to gain balance. "So you need to be able to call up that chakra sleeping within you at any time and be able to use it."

Catching himself, Naruto sends Jiraiya a confused glance. "But how do you know such chakra lies within me Ero-Sannin?"

"Oh, thanks for asking. It's because I'm a hermit." Jiraiya admits happily.

I send him a deadpan look before turning to Naruto. "That didn't answer anything." I mutter, earning a nod in response.

"Anyway, the special chakra that you have will become your best weapon."

"Best weapon?" Naruto parrots in confusion. Jiraiya merely smirks as he pinches Naruto's cheeks before explaining.

"If you don't use it then it will just go to waste, and there is no need to do the same training as everyone else. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You have your own style. The training you have done has consisted of maintaining a constant amount of chakra and releasing it in a constant amount. In other words, that was training to control your chakra so that you don't run out of stamina. But since you have a lot of stamina, you should concentrate on power rather than conserving stamina." Jiraiya lets go of Naruto's face before continuing. "You have two chakras and do not get exhausted as easily. You should do training that releases a lot of chakra and increase your maximum chakra capacity. There are many techniques and moves you can use by doing so."

"Like what for example?" Naruto's face lights up in enthusiasm.

"For example, the move I'm about to teach you… the summoning technique."

"Summoning?"

"Yes." Jiraiya answers before explaining how summoning works. "You must first use all your chakra."

Naruto's face lights up in glee. "Alright! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Within seconds, a hundred Narutos appear and battle each other. Jiraiya motions me to follow him and we move a few feet away from Naruto, only to have one clone fly towards us. Being the 'kind' person I am, I side step the flying clone, having it land on top of Jiraiya. Jiraiya and the clone hit the ground with a thump before the clone disappears in s loud of smoke, leaving said pervert on the ground. He quickly gets up and sends a mild glare in my direction.

"That was all Naruto." I state with an innocent smile. He merely shakes his head before setting up a blanket and umbrella. I send him a confused look.

"I have no idea how long it will take him, so I'm just getting comfortable." He explains before sitting down and patting the spot next to him. I let out a sigh before complying.

"So what's on your mind?" I ask as I stretch my legs out.

He takes a fan out and begins to fan himself. "That obvious huh? I wanted to ask you about yesterday and I suppose last night."

I send him a wary glance before adopting the easy-going persona once more. "Yesterday was just me training. Seeing as you saw the area, I need a lot of work with my control." I explain easily before chuckling. "And why are you wondering about last night? It was just like any other night."

"Just like any other night?" He snaps his fan closed before catching my gaze. "Riku, you can trust me. You know that right?"

I furrow my brows at the sincerity of his voice - no hints of malice or deceit, just concern. I make a move to speak, but a lump forms in my throat, choking away my words. Noticing my discomfort, he sends me a patient look. I just look away.

'Even if he says that... doing that... it's just another liability. I-I can't risk it...' I thought with clenched teeth.

_"There will be times where you just have to let go and trust others again." A shrouded figure murmurs in the back of my head. "Don't make the same mistake as me and push away those you are trying to help you." The person sends a smile my way before disappearing."_

'Master...'

My gaze drops to my lap, knowing the truth of my master's words despite my inability to remember his face. Letting out a sigh, I turn back to Jiraiya.

"... I don't open up to many people, let alone those I just meet, but for some reason I feel like I can... trust you…" I choke out before a smirk enters my face. "Even though you are a pervert."

"I see. Then why not confide in this old pervert?" He points to his face. "I can't help if you don't tell me." Jiraiya adds with a small chuckle.

'Déjà vu. I'm beginning to feel like this has happened before…' I muse before shrugging. "Ah, how true." I murmur, eyeing the ongoing free for all between the horde of Narutos. "I guess things pretty much went downhill with the second phase of the Chunin exams..." I trail off before ticking off the events one by one - meeting Orochimaru, him attempting to break the seal, him failing at putting another mark on me, the influx of memory flashes, Ojii-san's warnings, and basically me literally spilling my guts out on the ground last night in front of Sasuke.

"Yeah... that about sums it up." I finish before tacking on some basic information on Minori and how I figured out she was some sort of demon and not some coping mechanism my mind created on the spot. He sends me a calculating look in response before nodding in acceptance and muttering on about chakra locks and seal pairing possibilities before shaking his head.

*whistles* "Man kid, guess it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows for you huh?" He jokes with a goofy grin, but it soon slips off. "I'm guessing there's more to the situation than you're letting on."

I chuckle in amusement. "Is that what your hermit senses are telling you?" I ask with a side glance. When I don't receive a response (save for the grave face), I let out a sigh. "Ah... guess I can't really trick an informant can I? Can't really beat out your old man experience yet." I add wryly, earning a snort in response. "It's pretty obvious when you think about it - how this village works when it comes to clans possessing unique traits, especially ones with lone survivors. Doesn't matter how badly my clan was viewed... it had power and seeing as my clock's ticking by pretty quickly, the old prunes are going to want some... compensation for keeping me alive all this time. Now more than ever." I smile sardonically. "How kind of them eh?" I place a hand over my stomach. "Keeping me alive all this time until they have no more use for a broken tool." I add bitterly. "I don't understand how this village has fallen so far from the ideal the First Hokage had. Then again, I stopped trying to make sense of something as messed up as this."

When he doesn't respond, I cast him a side glance to see him clenching his hands. After several tense seconds, they finally loosen and he shakes his head sadly. "And here I thought things would have changed by the time I got back... guess time doesn't always fix everything..." He murmurs softly with a sigh. "Clan politics have always been rather messy... but it should never involve a child, especially for what they'll probably ask of you." I tense at this words, tightening my grip on my stomach.

"Doesn't matter. It's not like I'll let them do whatever they want with me." I murmur blandly. "I lost whatever respect I had for them the moment they sent me in that hellhole... after everything they let happen to Naru. That's why I take things into my own hands... nothing will ever change if I don't." I finish, eyeing the Naruto clones once again.

"And that's why you're so set on keeping Naruto in the dark?"

I nod. "He doesn't need to worry about me... not when he has other things on his mind." I finish before feeling a large hand plop on my head.

"Now, I wouldn't be too sure about that." He rubs the top of my head. "I can already see this blowing up in your face. Trust me. Been there. Done that. It's not pretty." He grins. "The kid there is going to worry about you regardless. Pretty much in his DNA as far as I can tell anyway. Better to get it over with sooner rather than later. Trust me on this."

I quirk a brow before swatting his hand away. "I appreciate the concern, but I think I've had enough of your other-worldly-I-know-everything-you-don't-old-man advice," I add, "still, thank you for cheering my up. I guess I'm getting too easy to read nowadays. That's not fun."

He shakes his head in mirth. "Ok, kid. Don't say I didn't tell you when it happens." He chuckles in amusement. "Now about that seal of yours... seal pairings with chakra locks aren't a very common practice anymore because of how volatile they can be if used incorrectly. Alone, those seals can have pretty nasty consequences, which is where the pairing practice comes into play but even then, it takes a pretty advanced seals master to make it successful." He explains before crossing his arms. "I'm guessing your father fell into that category, seeing as he was able to put in an extra locking mechanism to stop even Orochimaru from break through." He chuckles bitterly. "As for what pieces your seal is composed of... well, the one on your neck basically suppresses the chi network to an extent, meaning the bending you've been doing now with that lightning element of yours is no where near as corrosive as it's supposed to be. That acts as the core seal with the memory seal as its foundation and the ring and gem as the locking mechanism. As for the vines... well, I guess you can say it acts like a lock pick. It can't fully crack the seal in one go so it's slowly chipping away at it. There can be more layers, but that's all I see at the moment. Follow me so far?"

I nod. 'That verifies it then.' I muse. "So what happens when it fully breaks?"

Jiraiya places a hand under his chin. "I honestly don't know... best case scenario, your element runs smoothly and you get your memories back with no downfalls."

"Ah, now that sounds too good to be true." I smile wryly. "And worst case?"

"You turn into a mindless drone." He answers simply. "...Or you die."

I laugh. "How do you figure that? The dying part I get though."

"Well, with just the memory seal in mind… worst case, your memories get obliterated and you'll just be a puppet ready for molding. As for the core seal breaking down... if you can't handle the corrosive nature of your element, well... you already figured that on your own." He snaps his fan closed. "I'm not sure how the two seals will act in accordance to each other, but what I'm more worried about is why Orochimaru altered your seal to force it to decay faster or rather, make it show itself altogether."

I raise my hands up in surrender. "Ahh… don't ask me. I honestly have no idea. My memories are sealed, so I can't give you an answer to that." I lower my hands to my sides. "But you know what?"

He quirks a brow. "What?"

"Both seals are breaking down, meaning there's either something in my body he wants or my memories." I slightly grimace. "That sounded wrong…"

Jiraiya cracks a smile before letting out a laugh. "I might be rubbing off on you."

"I doubt that. It's probably psycho-sensei's mind rubbing off on me." I correct. "You have no idea what things go through her sick mind."

He sends me a look before laughing again. "And you're saying you have that mind as well?"

I crack a small smile. "I'm digging my own hole now, aren't I?"

"You sure catch on quick." Jiraiya sends me a smile as he pats my back. "Back to what we were talking about before, the seal is something I can fix, but with things as they are now... I'd rather not take any more risks. We're running a bit low on time and I'd rather not gamble with it. Just not my thing." He waves off. "Sound good to you?"

"Hmm… I suppose so." I trail off.

"Alright." He claps his hands. "Now onto the other issue: your training. Seeing as you outed the summoning technique yesterday... we're going to be doing something a little different than Naruto there." He motions to the ongoing crowd of sparring bodies. I nod before he continues. "Unlike other shinobi you have another network running through your body that runs chi, a partial component of chakra. That being the case, your body produces an abnormal amount of spiritual energy that, in theory, greatly overshadows the amount of physical energy used to mold chakra." He rubs his chin in thought. "Again, this is more speculation than anything else. I'm not really sure on the specifics of your clan's anatomy - how different elements affect the chi system or if they have any affect on it at all. That's... not really up my alley if you know what I mean. You'd find more luck learning more from a medic nin."

I send him a bland look. "I trust them as far as they can throw me." I deadpan.

"You'd be surprised how far one of them can toss you." He chuckles as though there's some inside joke. "Right... anyway... guessing from the scene I saw the other day, I'm going to go on a limb and say your chi system's basically running on a pretty large tank. In terms of chakra... that's a bit harder for me to tell. You won't be able to mold chakra correctly if you only have one half of the components, meaning if your physical energy runs out, you're done. Still, there is the possibility that your little friend..." He taps this temple. "... is a demon of sorts which would suggest you having a large chakra supply as well, though untapped. I'll get more into that later, but back to your training... the main thing we need to get under control is your lightning element and this is where we're going to go against what I just told Naruto. Unlike chakra, chi is more... unbalanced if you think about it..."

I nod in understanding. "Ah, I can see that. Seeing as it's half of the component of chakra, it's considered as one extreme of a spectrum whereas chakra is somewhere in the middle if you mold equal amounts of spiritual and physical energy."

He nods. "Yup. By that logic, it's more destructive than chakra, but I'm sure your clan's genetics have sorted that issue out for the most part, preventing the chi system from shorting out on you all of a sudden."

I laugh. "Yeah... no. That and you can force it to stop."

Jiraiya sends me a weird glance. "Excuse me?"

"You, er I can stop it when the influx of lightning gets too much, but it basically prevents me from bending for a minute or so before it returns to normal. Not to mention the pain. Can't forget that now." I explain wryly. "I had to do that once already. Probably wasn't the smartest choice at the time, but hey I wouldn't have known unless I tried ne?"

Sighing, he rubs his chin in thought. "I see... Again, I'm no expert in your clan's anatomy, let alone anatomy in general. Well, anything not involving a woman's anyway." He mutters with a perverted grin, earning a bland look from me in response. Shaking out of his improv fantasy, he adds, "Anyway, I'm going to go out on another limb here and guess you're basically as clueless on elemental transmutation of chi as I am."

Shrugging, I send him a bland look. "I'm surprised you know about it... still, not all elements rely on that and seeing as water bending didn't, I never really had a reason to learn it. Guess that's coming back to bite me, seeing as lightning does involve the transmutation of chi. Just my luck." I huff in annoyance.

Rubbing the back of his head, he lets out a deep sigh. "Got it. You know... I'm really starting to doubt whether I'm the right person to help you with this..." He starts before muttering more so to himself than me. "Why couldn't you have shown up sooner, Tsunade... Not like I can clean up your mess too..."

I send him a confused glance. 'Tsunade...? Why does that name sound familiar?' I thought before storing it away for later and not too soon, seeing as Jiraiya was ready to continue.

"Ok. I'm just going to think of the chi network you have as a secondary chakra network. So what we're going to do is a chi version of chakra control."

He glances at Naruto fighting between his clones before glancing back at me - repeating the action in a seemingly never ending cycle. I sweat drop.

"… Is something wrong?" I ask after he switches his glance for the eighteenth time.

"Hmm…" He pauses for a moment before staring intently at me. "You have a very similar body shape to that of a boy." He deadpans.

*sweat drop*

"That was why you had such an intense look?" I ask in disbelief.

"No. I just couldn't help but notice. You need to mature a lot more if you're planning to win a guy's heart, especially Naruto's."

Scoffing, I wave him off. "Don't make assumptions; it's nothing like that… Cute attempt at a distraction though. So what were you really thinking about?"

"Oh, you saw through that?" He smiles in amusement. "I was just wondering whether or not you knew anything else about your demon and before you answer, remember who it is you're talking to. I've been dealing with information for a while now and I know when pieces are missing." He adds smugly.

I chuckle in amusement. "Ah, rather arrogant aren't you?"

He scoffs. "It's not arrogance if it's true. That there is true confidence." He thumps his chest in pride.

I smile in amusement. "If you say so." I hum in thought. "I don't really know much more about Minori, but I do know she has been referred to as the _Demon of Solitude... _not to mention she was sealed in my mother before having me as her vessel. I think that's the thing that confuses me the most... wouldn't the container die if the demon is removed?"

He shakes his head grimly. "Though that's typically what happens... it's not always the case. It depends on the person. Some just have such a strong vitality factor that they can still survive the extraction process. It's pretty rare, but still possible."

I nod in acceptance, confused by the strange look slipping off his face.

"Still doesn't make sense..." I murmur. "The facts don't add up... my mother's name is Hikari, but the woman who raised me... that wasn't her name... I don't know if my memories are faulty or if that's the truth. Again, this is based on rumors too... not sure how much truth they hold." I add with a sly smile. "Make things more interesting though. Can't deny that."

A troubled look crosses his face before he releases a long, drawn out sigh. "Yeah... well, in terms of validating your demon's identity, I say we're pretty much stuck in a rut if we're resorting to rumors then. Oh well, guess there's not helping it." He points the fan between my eyes. "Strip."

*sweat drop*

I send him a bland look before pushing the fan away from my face. "You're joking." I deadpan.

He grins. "Nope. I'm a pervert." He thumps his chest in pride as if that explained everything. "Of course I take that very seriously." He adds before standing up. "Just your shirt would do - just enough to see your stomach."

"Never took you for a pedophile." I deadpan, earning an awkward cough in response.

"It's not like I'm interested in your undeveloped figure."

*eye twitch*

"I just need to see if you have a seal like Naruto's. The seal you have on your neck shows signs of multiple pairings, so the possibility of you possessing another seal somewhere is pretty high. If we're going off the assumption of Minori being a demon then the most logical place for that seal would be on your stomach, just like Naruto... well, in theory anyway."

"Uh huh..." I drawl. "It would have saved some time if you just started from there." I point out. "Again, you're putting a little too much weight on a rumor there... unless there's something you're not telling me?"

He chuckles. "Looks like you caught me there. Well, to put it simply, there are other rumors on your demon which basically place it on par with the Kyuubi. I'm not sure how accurate those texts are, but there are some similarities between the two of you, namely the emotional and chakra triggers that draw out that demonic chakra. Well, that's not exactly true in your case... you haven't been able to access that red chakra yet. The purple chakra you mentioned before can be your lightning element leaking into your chakra. As for your berserker state... it's possible that it's an intermediate stage your body enters before siphoning that demonic chakra throughout your body. I'm assuming your seals are playing a role in preventing you complete access; hence, the extreme exhaustion you feel afterwards, but again, this is all speculation. I can't confirm it unless I see the seal."

"That may or may not be there." I tack on before waving him off. "Ah, I get it." Sighing, I discard my green vest onto the ground. I reach for the tank top, but Naruto's voice stops me.

"Oi Riku! You're not stripping for Ero-Sannin are you?" He yells out in disbelief. "I know he's training us and he's a pervert, but I didn't expect him to be interested in a girl like you. You don't have to force yourself to do something to get him to stay with us. I can handle that part."

*tick mark*

I lower my arms before releasing a deep sigh. 'He needs to learn when to keep his thoughts to himself…'

"You better run boy." Jiraiya warns in all seriousness.

Naruto sends Jiraiya a confused glance. "Huh?"

'Well, he has to learn sometime. Better now than later.' I crack my knuckles. "Naruto. Why don't I help you use up your chakra?" I state with sickening sweetness. He merely gulps in response.

(The following scenes have been removed for the viewer's sake.)

**{~}**

~Several minutes later~

Jiraiya sends Naruto a glance as he continues to fan himself. "I think you went a little overboard on him." Jiraiya deadpans, eyeing the twitching limbs with a grimace.

Chuckling, I send him a bright smile. "I consider it training. At least he has no choice but to extract his other chakra right?"

Jiraiya sweat drops. "She's like a combination of Anko and Tsunade…" He mutters in disbelief.

I frown. 'Her name again huh? Maybe I've seen it on one of Ojii-san's reports? It sounds really familiar.' I muse before Jiraiya's voice startles me out of my thoughts.

"Looks like you finally used up most of your chakra, Naruto." He comments, earning a weak grin in response. "As promised, I'll teach you the move."

Once those words leaves Jiraiya's lips, Naruto quickly jumps up into a kneeling position. "Yatta! I've been waiting!"

'His energy never ceases to amaze me.' I can't help but smile as I watch Jiraiya teach Naruto the summoning technique. 'He's grown so much since I first met him… but I suppose I can say that about me as well…but either way… he's still is and always will be Naruto.'

As those words cross my mind, I see Naruto summon a tadpole instead of a frog. The frog Jiraiya had summoned croaks out sadly as he glances down at the tadpole flopping on the ground. Jiraiya's face was priceless; it was a mix of shock, horror, and aghast.

"Poor tadpole." I observe in amusement. "Well… Naruto has to start somewhere…"

Face palming, Jiraiya motions me over before dismissing his summon. "Ok... I'm going to pretend I didn't see that sad, sad attempt. Naruto... work on summoning a frog and I do mean a _frog. _I'm going to be working a bit with Riku before coming back to check on you. Sound good? Good." He finishes, not waiting for a response.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto sends him a sour look. "You better not do anything weird to her, Ero-sannin. Riku, make sure to beat him up if he does!" He cries as we walk out of sight.

I glance back in confusion. 'Since when was he that... protective?' I muse with a frown. 'Maybe I'm missing something.'

"Still naïve…"

I turn to Jiraiya with a quirked brow. "About what?"

He merely chuckles in response before telling me that it was nothing.

'You wouldn't say it in the first place if it wasn't…' I thought with a frown.

After several more seconds, we stop in the middle of a clearing.

Turning around, Jiraiya crosses his arms. "Now let's see if you have the same seal or not."

Sighing, I remove the tank top, leaving me in my shorts, chest bindings, and mid-drift and allowing him visual of my seal-less stomach.

He scratches his head in confusion. "Try molding your chakra. It only appeared on Naruto when he does."

Nodding, I close my eyes and focus on gathering chakra to the surface of my skin.

"Hmm… "

I crack open my eyes to see Jiraiya's face abnormally close to my stomach.

*tick mark*

"Aren't you a bit close?" I growl out.

"Nope." He sings before furrowing his brows in concentration. "Well, looks like the seal's there, but it's incomplete. Even with it at this state, it's pretty obvious that it's used to contain something with a monstrous amount of chakra so the possibility of it being a demon is fairly high. Don't get me wrong though... the seal's no joke even with parts of it missing. Looks like the person who put this here really wanted to keep this hidden, but with the seal on your neck breaking down, this seal has no choice but to surface." He runs his hand over several characters. "This is a pretty stubborn seal... doesn't look like it'll break down on its own like Naruto's. It's almost like..." He trails off with a frown before shaking his head. "Anyway... with things as they are now, you won't be able to access this chakra store until the seal on your neck is completely broken... in theory." He explains before standing up.

Nodding, I redress. "So I just wait then?"

"Exactly. I can forcibly remove the core seals on your neck, but as I've said before, that's not a gamble I'm going to take."

I smile. "Yeah, I'd rather not gamble away more of my time. It's pretty low enough as it is." I jest, earning a forced laugh in response. "So... any ideas on training for chi control?" I bring back.

He frowns. "Well, seeing as you're working on chi transmutation, we can't really rely on the basic tree climbing and water walking exercise here. I say you try concentrating your lightning element to a specific point on your body and release that on a target. Just to get a feel on where we are anyway." He glances around before pointing toward a nearby tree. "Try using that same technique you did yesterday on the tree." He moves a little ways away before motioning me to try.

I let out a sigh but nod in his direction. It didn't take long for the wisps of purple lightning to creep along my entire form. Within seconds, the lightning compacts itself around my right hand, forming sinister-looking crackling vines. I charge at the tree, having my fist hit directly in the middle of the trunk. All seems to be going well, but the lightning manages to attack the ground as well, uprooting the tree as the trunk snaps in half. I skid backwards as I look towards the tree that was standing several moments crash down. The lightning continues to crackle against the tree's surface, cracking apart the bark before dissipating into the air. Parts of the ground had cracks and it seemed the tree wasn't fairing any better.

Jiraiya hums in thought. "Your control has gotten better and it seems as if having a lack of control isn't the issue."

"What do you mean?" I ask in confusion.

"Lightning isn't an element that you can have complete control over. It has a will of its own. You saw how it moved on its own with that attack, but it still had the desired result." He faces me with a grin, causing me to widen my eyes.

"Meaning I can control it without too much difficulty as long as I don't fight its nature right? It needs to have fluidity and can't be rigidly confined to a single area." I sum up.

He sends me a nod. "That may be the trick you needed, but I'm sure it's more complicated than that." He frowns. "You've heard me say this a lot today but it's true. I'm not the right person to help you with this... I mean, I can, but you need someone that can teach you how to maintain a perfect balance of control and lack thereof."

I quirk a brow. "You sound as if you already have someone in mind?"

"I do, but I'm not sure whether or not you'll be able to find her. She has a habit of disappearing." He murmurs as he strokes his chin in thought.

"Ahh… want to tell me who you're thinking about?"

He frowns. "Tsunade. I thought I saw her wandering around yesterday, but she could have moved on to another village by now."

"Another sannin huh?" I gaze down in thought. "I might have just missed her then…"

"Hey, don't look so down. She might still be around. Why not look around the village? I'll still be here with Naruto by the time you get back." Jiraiya suggests.

I smile at his attempt to cheer me up. With everything we've talked about, it's a nice change of pace - nothing grave and depressing.

"I might just take you up on that offer. If I don't find her, I'll do a little training on my own before meeting back here. That sound good to you?"

"Sure, sure. Just make it back before Naruto freaks out." He waves off before heading back to the waterfall.

I watch his retreating back in confusion. 'Before Naruto freaks out? Why would he do that? He knows I disappear from time to time.'

*sigh* I shake my head. "Just when I thought things were making sense now… He says that and makes me confused… oh well…" Hooking my thumbs in my pockets, I turn on my heel and head in the direction of town.

**{~}**

-Time skip-

**(Third person perspective)**

After several hours of searching, Riku ends up with nothing - no leads, no sightings, just disappointment.

'Well, she rarely stays in one place for too long according to Jiraiya, but I would have thought someone would have seen her.' Riku thought. 'Then again, the people I asked could have just lied to me for the sake of lying.' She shrugs off before glancing at a nearby clock. 'It's still pretty early... and the hospital's not too far away. I guess I could pay Lee a visit... see how he's doing. After all, he basically saved us in the second phase of the exam.'

With that thought in mind, she jumps onto a nearby roof before making her way to the hospital across the nearby buildings. Landing in a crouch, she straightens herself before walking through the entrance of the hospital. She soon stills in her steps when she hears the sound of muffled counting. Following the voice, she finds Lee doing one-handed push ups in the courtyard.

Shaking her head, she smiles at the sight. 'Looks like I'm not the only stubborn one around here.' She eyes the cast and bandages wrapped around his body. 'Still... as impressive as this is... you're far from being healthy enough to train, but I guess I can say the same for myself.' She muses wryly.

"Lee-san!"

A nurse comes running in with Sakura and Ino in tow. "Lee-san, stop this. You aren't in any shape to do this." She makes a move to touch him, only to have him roughly dismiss her help.

"Onegai…don't.. interrupt .. my .. training.." He strains out between pants. "196…"

Lee takes a moment to catch his breath before resuming.

"197…"

"Lee stop it! You're in no condition to do this! What are you trying to prove!" The nurse cries angrily.

"Lee, it's alright. You don't have to do this to prove anything to anyone." Sakura reasons, only to be ignored as well.

"198…"

Lee shows no signs of stopping as he gnashes his teeth together. Bracing himself for the pain, he shakily lowers himself again, gasping when his body hitches and nearly collapses.

Riku sighs. 'Ah, guess I'll have to an even bigger hypocrite than I already am.' She thought before making her way over to Lee.

"199…" He grounds out before slowly lowering himself again, only to be suspended in the air by a water tentacle.

He glances at the culprit in disbelief. "R-riku? Why... I almost..." He pants.

"Because you have time. You don't need to rush." She answers. 'Unlike me.' She thought as he falls unconscious in her grasps. Sighing, Riku lowers him to the ground before the nurse rushes over, doing her best to tend to Lee while keeping as far as she can from Riku. After muttering to herself, the nurse runs off, calling out for a stretcher.

"Guess he's doing better." She murmurs.

"Better? I don't know if you can even call that better..." Ino scoffs before her expression drops. "...With how things are looking, the medics say it's impossible for him to be a ninja anymore. Hey... don't you think that was a bit rough on him? That kind of treatment... it couldn't have been good for him."

Sakura shakes her head. "Ino's right. That might have hurt him."

Riku turns to the two before offering them an amused smile. "You think I was being rough on him? He's a ninja. Something minor like that... it wouldn't be able to hurt him. Besides, he still has a lot of time to heal. No need for him to rush it."

Ino and Sakura share a look before turning to Riku once again.

"… That won't change the facts… his body is too damaged… it won't be able to heal enough to allow him to be a ninja anymore." Sakura explains, thinking Riku didn't quite hear Ino the first time.

Ino nods in agreement. "Yeah... No matter how much all of us want Lee to recover, he can't. It's just how things are."

'Just the way things are huh?' Riku thought bitterly before chuckling in amusement. "Ah, I don't settle and I'm sure he's too stubborn to accept that. That would be too boring. There's still a chance things will change even if it seems impossible... just like the second phase of the exam ne Sakura? Who knew we would be saved then?"

Ino visibly stiffens whereas Sakura rubs her arm awkwardly.

"That's true... but who or what can possibly help him?" Sakura murmurs. "Our situation was different... for him, there's no one that can help him... the doctors, all of them have already closed his case."

"I never did trust the medic nins here..." Riku mutters. "They're human; they make mistakes... like saying how Lee will never be a ninja again."

"Ok so maybe the medic nins haven't been good to you..." Ino murmurs. "I still say you're delusional. Not all of them can be wrong."

Riku glances up at the sky. "Ahh... you're right. Not all medic nins are wrong... just the ones at this hospital."

Ino face palms. "This girl..."

"You'll get used to it..." Sakura murmurs before letting out a sigh.

At their reactions, Riku laughs before forming an ice iris. "Seems like you still have to get used to it, Sakura." She teases before holding out the iris for Sakura to take. "Can you make sure this gets to Lee for me? There's someone else I need to see."

'Someone else?' Sakura wonders before shrugging off the thought. "...Sure." She begrudgingly agrees before reaching for the flower, only to have Riku pull away slightly.

"Don't be so disappointed, Sakura. I know you used to have a crush on me, but making such a face because I'm not giving it to you... now that's just sad..."

*tick mark*

"Oi!" She snatches the flower out of Riku's hands. "I don't swing that way. You're lucky this thing is meant for Lee or I would have bashed you in the head with it."

"Looks like you're back to normal now..." Riku murmurs, earning her a surprised look from Sakura. "Ja ne." With that, she jumps away.

"Geez..." Sakura glances down at the flower in her hand. "Would it really kill you to be direct with me...?"

After a moment of silence, Ino inches closer to Sakura with a mischievous grin. "So... about that crush..." Ino starts, earning a frustrated cry from Sakura.

Their argument begins, but little did they know that a slug had been watching the whole event from beginning to end. The slug quickly disappears in a cloud of smoke to relay its findings to its master.

**{~}**

-Scene change-

~ Near training ground 3: Waterfall area~

Riku continues to sit atop the water, gazing blankly at the waterfall before heaving a sigh. "Guess that was the answer this whole time..." She murmurs before staggering to her feet. "I have to force myself to heal." Smiling wryly, she thinks back to her days in the academy - the first time she met Naruto before settling on the incident in the training grounds. The genin and chunin surrounding him. The beatings. The blood. His cries. Her vision bleeds to red as she feels her anger boiling over. Flickering red wisps surround her for a moment before her lightning overtakes them completely.

She breathes a little easier, feeling her body knitting itself together.

"If my own time is running out... I'm borrowing yours... Minori." She chuckles, knowing she's taking a rather large gamble.

Taking the lack of response as an affirmative, she wordlessly forms an ice clone who stares at her in growing instability as pale blue scales dot her arms and legs.

'Of course, this isn't a solution. I'm just buying myself more time after all...' She muses before the clone rushes forward with her claws outstretched. Sidestepping, Riku rams fist into the clone's gut, twisting it in deeper as the lightning crackles against her skin. With an enraged shriek, the clone aims a hit to Riku's face, only to hit a wall of ice. Undeterred, the clone twists her hips into the punch before shattering it and rushing after her real counterpart. Bending a pillar of water, the clone sends numerous ice needles forward, making sure to lace them with lightning. Some maintain their shape whereas others shatter. Grimacing, Riku bends a pillar of water before freezing it and hopping across its surface to avoid the barrage of needles. Some still connect, rendering her limbs momentarily useless before her body recovers on its own.

Time passes and the spar continues to escalate as cracks of snapping bone and low growls echo around the area.

Shoulders heaving, Riku flickers her gaze to the smug clone, noticing in growing apprehension the blacks and reds dotting her vision. 'Time's up huh...' She realizes before the clone shatters, returning its memories and injuries to her. As the last of the injuries fade to dull pains, she stops of the flow of chakra to her feet and submerges herself in the water. She stares unseeingly ahead before surging all the lightning around her, forcibly knocking herself out of the berserker state. She opens her mouth in a silent scream, allowing the water to rush into her mouth, slowly filling her lungs.

Gagging on the water, she feels her senses returning to her and surfaces. With harsh coughs, she pulls herself onto the surface of the water before staggering back onto land. Laughing hoarsely, she collapses onto her knees, clutching her chest as several coughs wrack her body - only expelling the water from her lungs, not blood. The pain was tolerable. It didn't hurt as much as before... the lightning that is.

'Heh... guess it works... if only for now.' She muses before bending the water off her clothes. Using the tree as her support, she staggers to her feet before leaning against it to regain her bearings. 'Control's decent... it's not as rejecting as before... progress... if only a little.' She closes her eyes as her body sags forward.

"Quite the light show you made there gaki."

Cracking open her eyes, Riku blearily turns to the voice to see a large chested woman with blonde hair tied in low pigtails - Tsunade.

Riku chuckles hollowly. "Ah... did you... enjoy it?" She jokes, too tired to really scrutinize the woman.

Tsunade scoffs. "I've seen better, though I can't say many people would purposely try to electrocute themselves. You have a death wish or something, gaki?"

"A death wish?" She repeats with a wry smile. Pushing herself up, she fully faces Tsunade. "Ah, can't say that I do. Just a little measure to make sure I know my limits to training."

Tsunade raises an eyebrow in question. "A little?" She parrots before scoffing. "Hardly. Huh...tell me. Why go through all that just for training? Is it just for the sake of power?"

Riku blinks for a moment to process the question before laughing. Shaking her head, she sends Tsunade an amused smile. "To put it simply, yes. I won't deny I want to grow stronger, but it's not just for myself."

Tsunade quirks a brow, prompting Riku to continue.

"There's someone, no people, I want to protect. I don't care what I have to do, who stands in my way - I will do whatever it takes." She adds. 'for Naruto especially.'

'There's no doubt about it now... that determination is just like her mother's. If only she didn't inherit her father's infuriating personality.' Tsunade muses bitterly before eyeing Riku more closely. 'There's something off about her... pale skin, uneven hitching in the nerves...' She begins to list off before stopping herself. 'What am I doing...? I gave up medicine a long time ago. It never saves the people you truly want to save.' She thought bitterly before fixing her gaze on Riku. 'But that's not why I'm here. I have a debt I need to pay. That's all.'

"Oi gaki. I heard you've been looking for me around the village. What is it you want?"

Riku sends Tsunade a confused glance. "You're Tsunade?"

*tick mark* "Why do you sound disappointed, gaki?" Tsunade grounds out.

Riku waves off the anger. "Ah, it's not that… you just look familiar to me… have we met before?"

Tsunade bites her bottom lip, wondering if now was the best time to tell Riku or not. "You might have… I do wander around from village to village, so there is a possibility you caught a glimpse of me."

She settles on a half truth.

Riku nods in acceptance, despite her skepticism. "Hm… I guess… but you seem more familiar than that… must be my imagination then."

"I suppose." Tsunade glances at Riku more closely, noticing the physical similarities between Riku and Hikari. Even at a young age, Riku was exhibiting the same traits as her mother: her voice, her hair, her determination… they could pass as twins. If it wasn't for Riku's eye color, Tsunade would have believed it was a twelve year old Hikari standing in front of her right now.

"Please train me." Riku breaks in, startling Tsunade out of her thoughts. "That's why I was asking around for you. I need someone to teach me control and from what I hear, that's your specialty."

Tsunade frowns at the assumption. 'Control? As in chakra control or... something else?' She thought, ticking off the symptoms she's seeing before her in her mind despite her earlier reservations. 'Those symptoms... I'm surprised she hasn't keeled over yet. It's obvious something's corroding away her body and yet, she's acting as if nothing's wrong... Must be her father's stubbornness kicking in. No... it's not that... that expression of hers...' Her lips twitch up in a small smirk. 'Heh... I get it now. My luck must be getting worse for me to deal with this again.'

"Train you?" Tsunade parrots in disbelief before her smirk widens. "Sure, gaki, but I'm not a forgiving teacher. If you don't have that same drive I see in you right now, you're not going to survive. Meet me here tomorrow at 6 AM sharp. Understood?"

'Another gamble it is... Let's see how far you're willing to go.' She muses.

"Hai. Arigato for training me, Tsunade." Riku bows with an appreciative smile before bidding her farewell. Tsunade continues to watch Riku's retreating form before heaving out a sigh.

"Exactly what have I gotten myself into..." She groans as she fiddles with the necklace hanging around her neck. 'What were you even thinking, Hikari? Naming me her damn godmother despite everything. I can't take care of your brat... I can't save anyone, not even you.' She scoffs. 'Hate to admit it, but Jiraiya's right. That trio was nothing but trouble for putting us in this situation.'

**{~}**

-Time skip-

**(First person perspective)**

~Waterfall with Naruto and Jiraiya~

I enter the area to find Naruto excitedly pointing to the tadpole in front of him whereas Jiraiya's face is one of muted horror.

It isn't long before he finally cracks. "Just die! You have no talent at all!" Jiraiya cries.

"Look carefully!" Naruto points again to the tadpole. Curious, I join the two and notice the tadpole had legs.

Sweat dropping, Jiraiya gives the tadpole a deadpan look.

"It has hind legs!" Naruto exclaims.

Snapping out of his stupor, he rounds back on Naruto. "Baka! Try and summon one with both arms and legs!"

"But I improved! It's better than before since it has legs!" Naruto argues.

I chuckle in amusement. "At least you've made some improvement." I interrupt, gaining Naruto's attention. It isn't long before his surprise morphs into relief as he rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oi Riku, where did you go? I thought Ero-sannin did something to you when you didn't come back with him."

"Ah... I just wandered around. Visited Lee at the hospital and ran into my new mentor." I answer.

"So I'm right to assume you found her?" Jiraiya interrupts.

I nod. "Yup. She's going to train me starting tomorrow, but I'll drop by whenever I can to catch up with you two."

Jiraiya merely nods in response.

Naruto looks at me in surprise. "Eh? So you're not going to be training with us anymore?"

I send him an apologetic glance. "Looks like it. I basically went out and found another teacher since Jiraiya isn't the best person to train me right now." I explain. "Now, don't slack off without me around ok? When we face off in the finals, I'm not holding back."

"Heh. You wish! Ero-sannin's the one slacking off. I'm going to train as much as I can so when we do fight, I'll be able to wipe off that smug look of yours. Just you watch!"

I smile in amusement. "If you say so~" I sing, earning a grin in response.

"Just you wait. I'll be beating you and the teme in the finals. Believe it!"

My smile widens. It's moments like these that made things seem simple. No seals… no demons… no pain… everything's just perfect, but I know I can't hold onto this moment forever. I have to wake up and go back to reality. These precious but simple moments are what I'm trying to protect. I just have to remember that.

'Naruto… I hope I can keep this peace between us…'

Little did I know that things are going to change in a matter of weeks…

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well that's all for this chapter. If you would like to suggest the pairings, feel free to leave a review. It can be pairings not listed below too. I'll list what I have so far. Until next time...<strong>

**Ja ne~**

Riku x Naruto (1)

Sasuke x Riku x Naruto (1)

Neji x Naruto (1)

Shikamaru x Riku (1)

Deidera x Riku x Sasori (1)

Itachi x Riku (1)

Pein x Riku (1)

Hidan x Riku (1)

***I'm a bit curious if I should write a parallel to this story where Riku goes to the Akatsuki with Itachi instead of staying in Konoha after the Uchiha massacre. Not sure yet.**

**{~}**

_New Note: So this is the rewrite of this chapter. I'll add the votes into chapter 21 when I post it out or the numbers will be confusing for me to keep up with. Thanks for the reviews; I really appreciate it and I hope this chapter is enjoyable. Some of the scenes were changed, but it is mostly similar to its previous draft. Let me know if there are some issues with the characters or if something feels off about this chapter. Thanks again for reading._

**(Edited 9/17/14):** **Basically this chapter went a bit darker in the beginning with Riku revealing to the Hokage her understanding of the hidden politics motivating the Council. Jiraiya's conversation with Riku ended up being more technical than what I first wrote. Not to mention...Tsunade is a bit more cynical, seeing as she was like that when Naruto first met her. **_  
><em>


	17. Chapter 17: The Calm before the Storm

-Chapter 17: The Calm before the Storm-

**AN: There's going to be some filler information in this, but next chapter is going to be about the exams. Hopefully you enjoy that chapter, and I would like to thank everyone who has read, favorite, alerted, or reviewed my story. The more reviews I get, the more inclined I am to continue writing. XD**

**Special thanks to ****Mizuki99****, ****Rose Takamora****, and ****Thunder of Life**** for reviewing.**

**Mizuki99: Thanks for reviewing again. I'm still unsure about who Riku will end up with, so I'm going to set up some scenes with each character and hopefully my readers give me some feedback, so I can decide before Sasuke leaves the village. I haven't really kept up with the manga, so I'll have to look into that to see what developments have been made. As for the parallel, I'll probably start on that once this story is closer towards the end. You should try to write your story when you get the chance; I'm interested in it.**

**Rose Takamora: It's nice to hear from you again. The parallel story is something I'm really interested in writing. It'll be interesting to see how Riku's seal will be altered, since Itachi is going to take her away with him. Different memories will be sealed, and we'll get to see how Riku's decisions will change depending on those memories.**

**Thunder of Life: I'm glad you reviewed again and find the story interesting. I think I might have made it a bit long at parts, but hopefully it keeps you interested. Writing becomes easier after practice, so the more you write, the better you'll become. That's what my teacher tells me anyway. It also helps when you read different writing styles. Thanks for the comment and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**{~}**

**Mini note:**** If anyone has any ideas they want to see or any specific relationship scenes, then feel free to message me or leave a review and I'll try to add it into the story.**

_*Altered Chapter (See Announcement 3)_

* * *

><p><strong>Other notes:<strong>

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

'_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

**(-.-); or (-.-;) = Riku sweat dropping**

**(= -.- =) = Naruto's expressions**

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p><em>'I will keep fighting…to make sure you're safe. But why does it feel…wrong? Why does it feel like there's someone else that needs me… someone else that needs me before it's too late?'<em>

_~Riku Amarante_

* * *

><p><strong>(Third person perspective)<strong>

Everything appeared to be peaceful. The sun was beginning to rise and the birds were slowly waking up from their silent slumber. Few of the villagers have gotten out of their houses to start preparing for the day, yet nothing had broken the calming silence enveloping the entire village. However, if one were to search deeper in the forest near the Amarante compound the scene would be much different.

*Crash*Shatter*

"Damn it!"

Riku quickly curses under her breath as she jumps away in time to narrowly avoid another chakra infused kick from above. "How is she able to move this fast?"

Even with the Bikoume activated, Riku still struggles in avoiding Tsunade's attacks. The purpose of this exercise was to learn how to read the opponents movements to find an opening to attack, all while avoiding the opponent's hits. Sounds simple enough right? Wrong. The exercise becomes more lethal when said sensei is in a bad mood after finding Jiraiya peeping into the woman's bath.

"Don't you dare run away!" Tsunade fumes as she charges after the girl once more.

Riku turns around in time to catch Tsunade's punch in one of her lightning charged hands before having a chakra infused kick sent towards her stomach – sending her flying through several trees before roughly skidding on the ground.

*Crack*Crunch*Crack*

"Don't ever show your back to your opponent! I could have killed you if I wanted to. Get up, we're not done yet!"

Riku weakly staggers up before clutching her stomach in an attempt to lessen the pain. "Hai." Gritting her teeth at the pain, she faces Tsunade with a determined gaze, making her mentor smile in anticipation. Releasing a shaky breath, she allows the water to encase her hand before a teal glow envelopes it. Satisfied, she drops her hand to her side before taking a defensive stance. Blinking her eyes, Tsunade stares at Riku curiously, wondering where she learned medical jutsu – even though it was an incomplete form, it was still medical jutsu.

'Looks like I might have another apprentice soon.'

With that thought, Tsunade rushes at Riku once again, only to have her fist connect with a nearby tree- causing it to immediately snap in half. She quickly turns around to avoid a lightning infused fist directed toward her face. The lightning suddenly disperses, cutting off several strands of blonde hair. Not allowing her student to relish in the feat, Tsunade abruptly grabs the girl's arm before kicking her through several more trees.

*Crack*Crack*Crack*Crack*

'I'm definitely going to feel that tomorrow…' Riku thought as she coughs up blood, splattering it across the ground. Wiping the blood from her mouth, she slowly staggers up before buckling and crumpling back onto the ground.

"This is what happens when you rely on your bloodline instead of your own abilities. This is your second lesson; now get up!"

"Tch." Gritting her teeth at the pain, Riku staggers back up, albeit shakily as the water wraps itself around its master in a caressing hold. But the break is short-lived as Tsunade reappears behind her to send another punch towards her head. Sensing Tsunade behind her, Riku turns around and catches Tsunade's fist in her right hand. Tsunade sends another punch, only to have Riku catch it as well. Tsunade's eyes widen in surprise, but quickly narrow as she applies more force against her student. Overwhelmed by the amount of pressure, Riku's knees immediately buckle, causing her to kneel down in the broken dirt.

"Is that all you got? What happened to the girl I saw yesterday?" Tsunade taunts.

A growl escapes Riku's lips as she attempts to apply more pressure against Tsunade's hands, only for it to have no effect. Truth be told, Tsunade can easily overpower Riku, seeing as she is only using a small fraction of her strength, but it still surprises her that someone can match this strength for this long. She could very well end this little stalemate, but she wanted to test Riku's conviction – to see if she was even worth her time.

"How do you expect to protect anyone like this? Is this how you protect those close to you- with this half-baked effort?" Tsunade continues.

"Shut up…" Riku applies more force against Tsunade's hands, but is proves fruitless, for Tsunade matches it.

"Oh did I make you angry kid? Don't let it get to your head now."

No answer. Riku merely stares down at the ground in thought before facing Tsunade with a different gaze. Tsunade's eyes widen in shock as she sees two sapphire orbs starring back at her.

'Hikari….'

"You want that girl from yesterday? Well you're looking at her right now!" Riku slowly pushes up into a standing position before breaking the stalemate to send a kick in Tsunade's direction. Tsunade quickly blocks the kick, but notices the drastically increased power behind it. Not taking any chances, she breaks free from the attack and jumps back. Still carrying the momentum of the kick, Riku sends it towards the ground- managing to form a small crater. A small smirk appears on the girls face as Tsunade notices tendrils of purple lightning erupt from the ground – cracking the nearby earth before dissipating back in the air.

"Finally getting serious now are we?" Tsunade smirks as she gazes at the damaged ground. 'What was that back there…'

"Who ..would… have guessed?" Riku retorts between pants. Bruises can already be seen peppering her skin, giving it a slickly blue and green coloring. A jolt of pain travels down her neck, causing her to clutch it in an attempt to lessen the pain.

'Not now… I won't rely on you.' Shaking her head to clear away her thoughts, she takes on another defensive stance, noticing with growing agitation her inability to stop her limbs from shaking.

This reaction is understandable though, considering they have been training for several hours now. The first two hours concentrated on chakra control, while the rest is based on evasion and timing – two things Riku definitely needed more practice in.

"I'm… not… finished…ye-" As the final words escaped her lips, Riku rocks backwards before passing out upon contact with the ground.

"Well… that went better than I expected…" Tsunade mutters as she walks over toward the fallen girl. With a sigh, Tsunade makes a move towards Riku but promptly stops as she notices Riku's wounds rapidly healing.

"That's unusual…" She mutters as she continues to watch Riku's body slowly reconstruct itself before there were barely any signs of damage. The bruises were still apparent, but all the shallow cuts had all but disappeared.

"She must have _that _in her as well… " Tsunade's face falls into a slight frown as she recalls the demon Hikari had sealed within her as well. 'But what was that just now… why were her eyes just like Hikari's? Down to the color and everything…'

Tsunade continues to watch Riku's sleeping form before deciding to take her to her apartment. It didn't take her long to find it. Upon her entrance, she notices how barren it was, save for the scrolls strewn across the ground. It made sense though, considering how Riku was living by herself and would rarely spend time in her own home except for food. Sighing out, Tsunade places Riku under the covers of her bed before leaving a small slug on her bedside.

"Tell her to meet me in the same area once she wakes up." Tsunade orders. The slug nods in response.

Releasing a sigh, Tsunade leaves the bedroom before noticing something shining in an opened cupboard. Furrowing her brows, she cracks it further open to see several vials of white liquid.

"What is this…" Taking a vial, Tsunade glances at it for a moment before her eyes widen in surprise. "This isn't…" Her hand begins to tremble. "So she has that as well… you're a real piece of work kid…" A sad smile enters her face. "Looks like I'm not the only one who has rotten luck."

-Time skip-

"Ugh… my head…" Riku mutters out before cracking open her eyes to see the familiar teal walls of her room. Blinking blearily, she continues to stare at the walls before quickly sitting up in surprise – resulting in her clutching her head as she waits for the blood rush to pass.

"Crap…" She mutters to herself before glancing around the room, though not really seeing it.

'How did I get back here… and what time is it?'

Rubbing her eyes, she finally glances to the side to see an abnormally white and teal slug staring at her from its position on the bedside table.

"Excuse me, Riku-san."

She blinks owlishly at the slug before rubbing her eyes once again to see if she's actually awake.

'Yup, not dreaming. Must be a summon.'

"Ahh… hi?" Riku answers awkwardly, "No offense or anything, but what are you doing here?"

The slug doesn't appear to be offended and jumps onto Riku's lap. "I'm Katsuyu. Tsunade-sama wanted me to tell you to meet her in the same area as before when you woke up Riku-san."

'So Tsunade brought me back… should have figured that out…'

Riku sends the slug a small smile before patting her gently on the head. "Arigato Katsuyu, but just call me Riku alright? I'm not comfortable with formality." The slug looks up curiously before agreeing.

"You remind me of someone." Katsuyu observes, causing Riku to blink in confusion.

"I do?"

"Yes. Unfortunately she is no longer here. She held a close place in my lady's and my heart."

Riku sends the slug an understanding smile. "Ahh… I see, but your memories of this person keep her alive right?"

Again, Katsuyu nods, causing Riku to smile once again.

"Then she is still here."

Katsuyu stares at Riku for a moment before nodding again and excusing herself.

*poof*

The slug disappears, causing Riku to drop her smile as a calculating look enters her face.

"Was she talking about oka-san? Oka-san… why do you keep coming up? What are you trying to tell me?"

'_**Still fixated on the past I see.'**_

Riku releases a sigh.

'It's difficult not to when everything keeps pointing back to it… Minori… who are you really? You're not just a demon … you were someone else before, weren't you?'

'_**You already know the answer little one. What do you think?'**_

Riku bites her bottom lip, remembering the image of an ebony haired woman with crimson eyes.

'You had a past… you used to be human… if that's true, then does this apply to all demons?'

A chuckle resonates in Riku's mind. _**'You're finally connecting the dots. But yes, all demons have a human origin. We were created by humans… created by the people who feared our very existence… we found solace in each other before a new role was given to us…'**_

'What role?'

The image of flashing teeth and crimson eyes flashes through Riku's mind.

'_**If I told you little one, I would have to kill you.' **_

'…That has to be the most clichéd line a villain can say.'

'_**I see you still find amusement in the smallest of things… now little one, tell me. Why did you refuse my power? It was calling out to you was it not? Mixing with the growing madness in your blood, clawing against its chains, begging to be released… so why stop it?' **_

*sigh*

'Because I am still human. I won't lose my sanity and become a puppet to my own instincts… after all, there's still so much I have to do. I can't succumb to it just yet.' Riku glances down at her cupped hands to watch the glowing mass of lightning resting on her palms. 'I am its master and even though it will only pull me further and further into madness as time passes, I'll just keep coming back because there's someone who won't hesitate to pull me back to sanity.'

A boisterous laughter fills Riku's ears.

'_**How amusing. You've found yourself an anchor, believing he will truly save you from this madness. You really are an interesting vessel just like your mother. But be warned little one, madness is not one so easily defeated. It will always haunt you until you completely lose yourself.'**_

'Ahh… then I better keep fighting then.'

'_**So confident are we? You will need it youngling. After all, the pieces are gathering. A new game will start and as the player, you must be ready to lose. He's coming…. He's coming back for you…' **_Minori finishes in a disturbing sing-song voice.

'Who?'

No response.

Releasing a sigh, Riku dismisses the lightning before staggering from her bed, realizing in growing annoyance her limb's refusal to listen to her commands. Taking another step, Riku crumbles onto the floor into a coughing fit. When the coughs subside, she shifts her gaze to the blood spatters coating the wooden floor.

She closes her eyes. "The deterioration is still happening… it's still rejecting me…" She clenches her hand into a fist before pushing herself off the ground into a sitting position. Running a hand through her hair, she debates on whether or not to take the medicine.

"Don't trust it…" She mutters to herself. "The elders could have poisoned it for all you know…"

Brining her legs to her chest, Riku wraps her arms around them before resting her chin atop her knees. "Less than a year… I still have time… but what do I have to do to make it acknowledge me as its master… I can control it, but why am I still decaying?"

Getting no signs of a response, Riku slowly stands up before making her way out of the room, not noticing the blood droplets on the ground sparking before burning away from existence.

-Time skip-

Releasing another sigh, Riku continues to swish her legs in the flowing water as she waits for Tsunade. Several hours had passed and still no sign of her mentor. Finally taking her legs out of the water, she stares at them in slight distaste at their wrinkled appearance.

'Just goes to show that you shouldn't stay in the water too long…' Riku thought with a slight frown. Walking past her discarded weight bands and sandals, Riku leans against one of the remaining trees in the forest.

'I wonder what's taking her… knowing her, she might be running away from debt collectors … or drinking.'

*sigh*

Glancing up, she watches the setting sun before releasing another yawn. Fatigue continues to wear down on her body, quickly lulling her into sleep.

'It's so nice out… a little nap won't hurt.'

**{~}**

A calm expression enters Riku's face as her blue hair sways across her face in rhythm with the calming winds. Her breathing events out before her head slumps slightly to the side.

Everything appears to be peaceful – no loud children, store owners, or the normal rustle and bustle of the town, nothing to disrupt the peace of the area. That is, until a shadowed figure approaches Riku. The wind suddenly picks up as if trying to wake Riku, to warn her of the danger, but she continues to sleep.

"To sleep out here like this. She hasn't changed… foolish girl." The cloaked figure comments as he gazes at her expression. A soft smile enters her face, showing her obliviousness to the dangerous man standing several feet away from her. But obliviousness may not be the correct term, for her body had registered the person's chakra and deemed him a friend. Even if she had forgotten him, her body still remembers the stranger's chakra.

His eyes land on her neck, taking in the intricate seal with growing anger. Gently, he parts some of the strands of hair obscuring his view of the seal before running a finger along her skin. The seal glows crimson for a moment before fading back into its usual black. He switches his gaze to Riku's face to see several tears falling down her face.

He lets out a small chuckle. "Even with this seal, you still remember… though unconsciously."

He makes another move toward Riku, only to pause and narrow his eyes as he senses another chakra source rapidly approaching them. He slowly pulls his hand back before resting it to his side. Not wanting to be discovered just yet, he quickly leaves but not before casting one last glance back at Riku's sleeping form.

'Our meeting is approaching… will you recognize me Riku?' The man thought as he escapes the village's borders. He knew of her weakening seal, but he had yet to see how much she can recall from her past. The more she knows, the more of a threat she is…to him… to the village… to the organization.

'It won't be long now… the sooner you remember, the closer you are to ruin. Will you fight it or will you allow it to consume you?'

**{~}**

Feeling a heaviness settle over her, she quickly opens her eyes before feeling something wet trailing down her face. Confused, she runs her hands over it before glancing down to see water.

'Tears? Why am I crying again?'

Rubbing her face of the tears, she glances around to see darkness slowly creeping along the ground – eliminating the last signs of the ending day.

'Who was that… that chakra… it felt sinister, broken, pained… but still retained a sort of light to it – a combination I only know Naruto and Sasuke to have.' I close my eyes. 'Who else am I missing… that stranger felt so familiar?'

Releasing a sigh, Riku sags her shoulders before noticing an obviously angry Tsunade making her way over. 'Her chakra… why does it seem like she's charging over here?' Widening her eyes, Riku stands before feeling the ground trembling beneath her feet.

"And she's pissed…" Riku mutters out before taking a defensive stance. Several seconds tick by before a blur enters her vision. Ducking, Riku manages to avoid a chakra-infused fist, while the unfortunate tree behind her suffers Tsunade's wrath – immediately snapping in half and crashing upon impact. Allowing the adrenaline to wear off, Riku releases several deep breaths before glancing up to see Tsunade's distressed face.

'Something must have happened… she wouldn't have done that on purpose.'

"Did something happen?" Riku asks causing Tsunade to bite her bottom lip before flicking Riku in the forehead – sending her stumbling onto the ground.

Rubbing her forehead, she glances up at Tsunade in confusion.

"Are you trying to kill yourself kid?"

Riku quirks an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Huffing, Tsunade tosses several vials onto the ground, filling the air with clinks. Riku stares at the vials of white liquid before staring straight at her mentor.

"I never used them."

Tsunade scoffs.

"I figured. Although this serum can delay the effects of your deterioration…" Tsunade trails off, noticing the slight flinch from Riku, "It can act as a poison; it targets the nerves and can ultimately reroute the lightning so that it targets the heart. I'm sure you know what happens after that."

Riku looks away before letting out a small laugh. "Why am I not surprised? Those old prunes really do want to get rid of me." A sad smile enters Riku's face.

"Huh… So what stopped you from using it? You didn't know the effects right?"

"Ahh… the golden question." Riku smiles. "Simple. I don't need."

"Pardon?"

"It's an unnecessary safety net. My goal is to protect my most important people regardless of the costs. I just figured that I would be able to do what I needed to do in the time that I had left. Besides, my friends are perceptive…. They would notice something is up if they saw me drinking some random white liquid from time to time."

"So you would end up throwing away your life?" Tsunade crosses her arms.

"Ahh… no. That's not it. I'm just trying to protect the people I care most in my own way. If I do, then everything works out… even my death."

Tsunade's eyes widen at the words. 'Hikari…' Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tsunade grips her necklace before facing Riku once more. 'She really is your daughter… *sigh* I won't let you down this time… I will protect this one in your place.'

"That won't be an option for you." Tsunade finally responds.

"Eh?"

"What experience do you have with medical jutsu?"

Riku blinks. "Well… almost all water benders in the clan were taught some form of healing using water as a medium. It can be used to help remove poison from the blood more easily or speed up the body's natural healing process. I haven't spent a lot of time on the healing aspects of water bending, but I do possess some scrolls on that subject. It was mostly self-taught, seeing as I had to learn how to heal my own injuries at a young age…" Riku looks away as a frown enters Tsunade's face. "But I have healed my teammates before… Sasuke and Naruto have a tendency to be reckless – leaving me with the job of healing them." Riku finishes with a smile.

"I see." Tsunade looks up at the sky and notices how late it was getting. "If you become a medic nin, you wouldn't have to worry about your condition. You would be able to protect your friends. Would you be interested in becoming one?"

Confusion enters Riku's face. "Didn't you give up healing?"

"Yes… but it appears maybe I'll have just one exception. Be grateful brat."

Riku blinks for several moments before a smile enters her face. "I am. I really appreciate this."

The answer seems to satisfy her as a smirk crosses her face. "Very well. I will instruct you in medical jutsu, but that doesn't mean I'll let you off on your other training. A medical ninja must not be physically weak after all."

Riku allows a smirk to enter her face. "Whatever you send my way, I'll be able to take it so give me your best shot."

"Just remember this. You asked for it." With that statement, Tsunade charges towards Riku once again – signaling the start of the training.

'Why do I feel like I shouldn't have provoked her…?'

-Several weeks later-

The final rounds for the Chunin exams were quickly approaching – leaving only one week for training for the final contestants. Since the first day of training with Tsunade, Riku's control has progressed by leaps and bounds. Though her control over her lightning element wasn't completely solid, she was able to manipulate its unpredictable nature to her advantage in her devastating punches and kicks. The irregular paths of the lightning induced attacks covered a large range and held many possibilities for plausible strategies in battle. Rather than further increasing the power of her attacks, Tsunade took it upon herself to enlighten Riku upon the workings of medical jutsus in the second half of the month. Seeing as most of the training was dedicated to chakra control and battle analysis, Tsunade's teachings on medical jutsus was limited in comparison to the physical strain Riku had endured. Riku was able to acquire knowledge in the basics of medical jutsu: from mending broken bones to sealing deep gashes. However, her current knowledge on healing only scratched the surface of what she had yet to learn to be deemed a full-fledged medical ninja – a goal Tsunade was adamant about Riku pursuing.

Every day they spent together, whether it be for physical training or medical training, allowed the two to form a bond with one another. At first, Tsunade only viewed Riku as an obligation – a chance to make amends to Hikari, but as their time progressed, she began to notice the differences between the two: the sarcasm dripping from Riku's taunts, her momentary temper flares, her silver eyes promising mischief… There was no use denying the fact that the two girls were extremely similar, but those aspects… those subtle differences caused Tsunade to look at Riku differently – to see her not as a replacement of her old friend and student or an obligation, but as a girl willing to do whatever it takes to protect those precious to her… a reflection of Tsunade's past self before her losses. To be honest, the realization frightened her at first. She didn't want to be reminded of her past or of Hikari, but there was already a living reminder of her past meeting her each day… training to fulfill the same ideals her past student upheld. To see a girl so similar to her previous student … a girl so closely entangled in the same cruel fate held by her old student… it unnerved her.

'Will she lose herself as well?'

'Why is she just like Hikari? Why did she have to have the same fate?'

'Why can't I just let go? Why can't I just walk away from her before I get attached… before I see the same thing happen to her as Hikari?'

Those questions constantly plagued her mind throughout the training; it was as if constantly asking them would somehow cause an answer to arise. But as she continues to watch Riku's development, she noticed the subtle differences… those simple differences seemed to give Tsunade hope that maybe… just maybe Riku wouldn't meet the same demise. They aren't the same person; that was made clear, but could that make a difference? To be honest, Tsunade wasn't sure, yet there was something telling her that things would end differently… that Riku just might be able to carry out the 'foolish' ideals of her mother. If there was anyone that could carry out that dream, it was Riku.

At first, Riku only viewed Tsunade as a mentor, but it was more complex than that. From first glance, a wave of familiarity had washed over Riku as her calculating silver eyes met Tsunade's guarded honey brown ones. Though Riku could not specifically recall them ever meeting face to face, there was just something nagging at the back of her mind- telling her that she did indeed know this woman. Efforts on recollecting her so-called memory of Tsunade proved fruitless, but the feeling of familiarity only proved to motivate Riku to know Tsunade better. Their conversations would strictly pertain to training for the first week or so, but as time passed and the two warmed up to one another. Riku began disclosing more personal matters, such as her memories. There were times where Tsunade would merely listen, seemingly lost in her own memories as Riku reveals the ones she could recollect about her childhood. When she would mention Orochimaru, Tsunade would narrow her eyes before issuing another training session as a form of … stress relief. Let's just say Riku was no in condition to talk let alone mention anything pertaining to said snake for several days without serious repercussions.

Regardless of the physical and mental strain racking her body every single day, Riku couldn't help but let a smile appear across her face at the end of each session. Such display had confused Tsunade at first, but as their time together grew, Tsunade learned it was merely a form of appreciation. What the reason behind said appreciation had yet to be discovered, for Riku would merely respond with a cheeky reply before receiving a flick in the forehead courtesy of Tsunade. With such playful behavior between the two of them, it wasn't long before Tsunade acquired a sense of protectiveness and attachment towards the blue-haired girl. Riku had slowly wormed her way into Tsunade's heart – making Riku seem like Tsunade's own daughter… not like she would ever openly admit this of course.

There were instances where Riku had viewed Tsunade as her mother. Tsunade's rare moments of obvious concern only reinforced the belief. At the same time, Tsunade possessed a low tolerance level and temper – reminding Riku of a mother wolf teaching her pups to fend for themselves. Both held compassion, but they also knew when to push their students to fight and learn. It was funny for Riku… to think of Tsunade as a mother, but she couldn't help it… it just came naturally to her. Sure Anko had taken part in raising her, but she only viewed Anko as an older sister… a very sadist older sister. Tsunade was different. That was all there was to it.

Going back to the training session at hand, trees can be seen falling at a dangerous rate. Anyone near the vicinity would claim an unrelenting chain of earthquakes had been occurring in the area. Unfortunately, such a claim could not be deemed false to an extent, for two kunoichi have been producing 'natural disasters' in their spar.

"Not getting slow in your old age are you?" Riku taunts as she dodges a chakra-infused fist aimed at her head.

"Don't get so cocky brat." Tsunade comments as she reappears behind Riku to send a kick towards her stomach.

Familiar with this tactic, Riku sidesteps and dodges the punch once again before sending one of her own towards the ground. In response, Tsunade jumps away to avoid toppling over from the cracks. A smirk appears on her face, but quickly disappears as she notices the lightning tendrils charging out of the rifts in the ground. Before the tendrils could make contact, a log appears in Tsunade's place – causing Riku to lose visual of her opponent. Closing her eyes, Riku concentrates on the movement of the water particles in the surrounding air. An abnormal shift catches her attention, but before she could react, several explosions surround the area, making it impossible for Riku to pinpoint Tsunade's exact location. Releasing a small growl, Riku activates her Bikoume before having a fist slam into her stomach – effectively knocking her through several nearby trees.

*Crack*Crack*Crack*Crack*

As the dust clears, Tsunade's form could be seen wearing a triumphant smirk before the crouched form of her student. Riku shakes her head slightly to get her bearings before standing back up. Constant abuse had hardened her body, allowing her body to take more damage than before. A gleam appears in Tsunade's eyes as she looks approvingly at her student. Riku still had a lot to learn, but still possessed the necessary skills to bring out a little more effort on Tsunade's part. As if a silent exchanged had passed between the two, the training session resumed until Riku was panting on the ground with a slightly panting Tsunade standing before her.

"To think… you've actually came this far…" Tsunade states as she quickly calms her breathing.

"Well… not … far enough… I still have…. A long ways to go… ne?" Riku pants out as she flashes Tsunade a smile.

"Of course. Today will be our last training session, since I have to leave the village later today. If I stay here any longer the debt collectors will eventually find me. Unfortunately that means I won't be able to see your match…" Tsunade trails off as she notices the slightly downcast expression on Riku's face. "What's this? Are you upset I'll miss your match?"

"What gave you that idea?" Riku huffs indigently as she stands up.

'Stubborn brat.' Tsunade's eye slightly twitches in irritation as she gazes at Riku's disconnected eyes. Noticing the forced front, Tsunade releases a small sigh before speaking. "Don't pull that on me. Even if I'm not there, knock them dead out there alright?" Tsunade comments while trapping Riku in a headlock.

"Technically I can't really kill my opponent." Riku comments as she cracks a minuet smile.

"You know what I mean." Tsunade mutters as releases Riku before sending a slight flick towards Riku's forehead.

Riku sends a small pout before flashing a smile towards Tsunade. "Of course. I guess you better get going before Shizune comes to collect you herself, but knowing you, you're probably going to go get a drink first."

"Hmm… you're finally learning. Take care kid." Tsunade makes a move to walk away but soon spins on her heels to face Riku once again. "Oi kid." Riku looks up with confusion reflecting in her silver eyes. "Hm?"

Tsunade bites her bottom lip in thought before resuming. "When I get the chance, I'll come back and collect you."

Riku's eyes slightly widen as she takes in those simple words before muttering, "N-nani?"

"You didn't think you would get away from medic training that easily did you? I meant what I said before. I'm taking you on as my apprentice, but seeing as I have some matters to attend to, I can't very well take you with me now. I'll still send you scrolls to study from time to time, so you better not slack off on your training when I'm not around." Tsunade barks out before allowing a softened gaze to meet Riku's widened silver orbs. "We'll see each other soon."

With that, Tsunade resumes her path – leaving Riku alone to mull over her own thoughts.

"Ahh… see you soon." Riku mutters out as Tsunade's form disappears from view. "She completely saw through me…" Oddly enough, a smile enters Riku's face as she lets out a laugh.

"I can't believe it… she really did see right through me…" Her smile widens. "I'll see you soon…Tsunade."

**{~}**

**(First person perspective)**

The training session with Tsunade hadn't taken much time, seeing as it was only noon. Having nothing to do at the moment, I start wandering through the streets of the village. 'Only one more week before the exams… I wonder how everyone else is doing…'

"Oi Riku!"

I hear someone calling my name and turn around to see Shika lazily waving at me in the distance. Chouji and Asuma were flanking him, whispering something amongst each other as they send several glances between Shika and me.

'What's up with them?' (-.-;)

"Ahh… Shika. What's up?"

"Just got back from training… it's troublesome… I should have just lost in the preliminary matches."

It didn't take long for us to fall into step with one another as he continues the conversation.

"I thought you didn't want to lose your pride as a man by getting beaten by a girl."

"Only because I wouldn't hear the end of it from you… troublesome woman…" He mutters as he looks away.

"Aww but I thought you liked my teasing Shika. Besides, it makes you seem a bit… cute?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

'Why's he stuttering? Did I say something wrong?'

'_**You're hopeless….'**_

'Oi what do you mean I'm hopeless?' (-_-)

'_**You can't figure out that boy's feelings for you… nor can you figure out your own feelings… that's why you're hopeless.'**_

'What feelings? He's my friend and I'm his friend. It's that simple right?'

*sigh*

'_**Why do I even bother….'**_

"-iku. Oi Riku!"

"Hm?" I snap out of my musings and see him waving his hand in front of my face.

"You alright? You were spacing out on me again."

"I think I should be asking you that… you usually don't ask those types of questions… are you alright?" I answer as I take a closer look at his face. "Your face is a bit red… are you getting a fever or something?" I place a hand on his forehead. "You don't seem warm… did you eat a weird mushroom?"

*cough* cough*

"N-nani?" Shika sputters out as he gathers his bearings.

"You know… those funny colored mushrooms that make you act all weird."

"Isn't that from one of your books?"

"Your point?"

"That was fiction." He deadpans.

"Again I do not see your point." (^.^)

"It's not real."

I send him a blank look. His right eye slightly twitches before he releases a sigh. "Troublesome woman…." (-_-)

'Guess he's alright after all… weird… I guess I just imaged it then….'

"Ahh… so how's training?" I state out casually.

"Hm? It's going…"

'Cue awkward silence. I swear I can hear crickets chirping somewhere…'

Silence envelopes the conversation, but it wasn't something new. Shika wasn't exactly a social butterfly, so I had to get used to these random bouts of silence. It didn't last long, for Chouji starting asking Asuma for his barbeque. Before the three left to eat, I bid them farewell – telling them I had other matters to attend to. Shika appeared to be hesitant at first – as if he wanted to say something, but he merely looked away and offered a lazy wave.

'Why are all the guys acting so… weird? No… that's not the right word… more like out of character… First Naruto then Shika.. maybe they ate a weird mushroom without noticing it. What's with me and mushrooms… gahhh… now I'm the one being weird…' (-_-;)

As I continue walking through the streets, I notice Naruto rounding the corner. I was about to say hello, but notice him making a move to hug Sakura. My chest constricts for a moment until I see him splayed across the ground by a fuming Sakura.

As I watch the two interact, my chest continues to tighten before it relaxes.

'What was that just now… the deterioration should have stopped…'

"BAKA!" Sakura yells as she angrily stomps away.

Shaking the thought from my head, I make my way over to Naruto's collapsed form. "Ahh… you know this isn't the best place to sleep right?"

He slowly lifts his head to face me before recognition crosses his eyes. "Eh? Riku? What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a stroll. What are you doing down there?"

A slight blush creeps along his face as he jumps to a standing position. "I was training." This caused me to quirk an eyebrow.

'How does almost hugging Sakura equal training… must be something Jiraiya thought up for him… Speak of the devil.'

Just as those words crossed my mind, I see Jiraiya coming towards us with a slight smile.

"Didn't expect to see you here Riku. How's training going?" Jiraiya asks casually.

"It's been… interesting. Tsunade had to leave, so I'm pretty much left on my own now. I learned a few tricks from her, so I'm excited for the matches. How's your training with Naruto?"

"We're just about done." A smile creeps along his face, but for some reason it seemed somewhat off.

"Oi Ero-sanin! Don't talk to me like I'm not here!" Naruto fumes. I face Naruto to see a small pout across his face.

'Still the same as always…'

"Well… I guess I better let you two go back to training…" I trail off as I notice a raven watching me in the distance.

'Is it just me… or has that bird been following me? But then again there are a lot of birds in the area so it could just be a coincidence.'

"Riku? Oi Riku!"

"Ahh… what is it?"

"Um… you were spacing out on me. You've been doing that a lot lately. Is there something on your mind?"

I face Naruto and see the genuine concern reflecting in the blue orbs. Naruto usually wasn't one to take notice of things concerning me, especially my emotions.

'I really must be losing my touch…to make it so obvious that even he noticed…'

"Ahh… no. I'm just excited for the matches. Let the stronger ninja win ne?"

A confused look crosses his face before it's replaced but his goofy grin. "You bet. I'm not going to let you win just because we're friends."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Oh and Riku?"

"Ahh?" I turn around only to have him embrace me. I blink. "Naru?"

He tightens his hold around me. "Just know we'll always be like this alright? You're my first friend and I promise nothing will ever come between us." He releases me and sends me a cheeky smile, causing me to smile in response.

With that we went our separate ways, leaving me to wander the streets once again. As I walk through the busy streets, I notice the smiles adorning the faces of everyone. It was these moments that made me question my past. How could these people be so cruel to two children? What changed?

As I mull over these thoughts, I didn't notice a looming shadow watching me in the distance. As the shadow makes its killing intent more obvious, I quickly snap my attention to my left, only to be left with the normal bustling near the shops.

'Why am I so anxious today? This isn't like me…' I run a hand through my hair. 'Maybe I just need some space…'

-Time skip-

-Training Grounds-

When I reach the training grounds, I notice Neji and Tenten facing each other, probably wrapping up their spar. My eyes wander to the crater formed around Neji, noticing how the area under his feet was untouched. Tenten turns her gaze to me and offers a weak smile before picking herself up and walking over to me. Neji merely looks on with disinterest.

"Riku what are you doing out here?"

I send her a smile in response, not really knowing why. Something about her just made me smile. "Ahh… just needed some time to myself I suppose. A lot of things have been happening lately."

"Really? Like what?"

"The exams mostly, but I guess it's more so my past."

"Your past?" Tenten sits down on a stray log and pats the spot next to her. Not wanting to be rude, I comply. "I heard about it… your clan was massacred right? I can't quite understand your position, but I know what it feels like to not have parents."

I tilt my head to the side in confusion.

"Tenten." Neji warns, but she merely brushes it off.

"It's fine, Neji." She sends me a smile. "I was adopted, so I never quite knew my parents, so I can understand the frustration you feel for not really remembering them."

"I see." I glance down at my feet. "It's not really that….I mean it does bother me, but not as much anymore…" I trail off.

Tenten places a hand on my shoulder. "I know we don't really know each other that well, but you can talk to me. You're usually surrounded by guys who know nothing about girls, and although you have Sakura, she isn't really one to think past the guy threshold."

I let out a small laugh.

"Ahh… so true."

"So… it's ok to let others in. After all, we kunoichi have to stick together."

I let out a small laugh. "You're right, but there are some things that just have to stay secret."

"Mmm-hmm. I get that. But if there's anything else bothering you, you can come to me alright?"

"You're really a nice person Tenten." I look up at the sky. "Ne Tenten… if you were fated to die… would you fight it?"

"Eh? Where did this come from?"

"I guess it's something I dug up from my clan. Just a thought that's been bothering me."

"Huh…" Tenten takes a moment to think of an answer.

"If it's fate, then you can't fight it. We all die. Just some earlier than others." Neji responds, startling Tenten and I.

"Wow… you actually said something." I said, causing him to send me a scoff.

"Well, Neji does have a point. We all die at some point; at times, it's out of our control." Tenten adds as she places a finger to her chin.

"Ahh… but what if you knew someone wanted to kill you and they tell you it's fate. Would you comply then?"

"Of course not!"

"Only the weak are fated to die early."

I roll my eyes. "What if you die to protect someone else? Are you weak then?"

Neji doesn't respond; he merely clenches his hands. Tenten sends a worried look his way before pulling me closer.

"You shouldn't talk about this stuff to Neji…" She whispers before pulling away. I send her a confused glance, but she just sends me a pleading one.

'He's hiding something…'

I let out a sigh. 'Looks like I'm going to piss another person off… nothing new.'

"I don't think you should accept it as fate." He snaps his gaze to me, anger evident in his eyes. "I consider it choice. If you die to protect someone else, it's because you chose to, not because you are weak or because fate dictated it… you were strong enough to throw yourself out there to take the hit for someone else… If you die, then your will to live just wasn't strong enough…"

"How naïve can you get." I snap my gaze to Neji, noticing out of the corner of my eye Tenten face palming.

"Fate isn't something you can choose. It dictates your life. If it tells you to jump, you jump. If it tells you to lose, you lose. If it tells you to die, you die. End of story. There are things you can't escape no matter how much you wish it. Everything is predetermined for you."

I release a sigh. "You can be pissed off at me for all I care, but I can't help but feel sorry for you because you fool yourself into thinking you're a puppet on life's stage. You haven't been in that position before… so don't sell yourself short."

"What would you know?" He growls out.

I let out a sad smile before taking off my jacket vest, allowing it to clatter to the ground. I then remove my tank top, leaving me in my mid-drift.

"What-"

I cut off Tenten.

"After the massacre, I was taken in by Danzo who tried mold me into the perfect tool. Every form of torture was used on me to make me submit… to make me lose every semblance of humanity so that I was his perfect little puppet. It worked… until I cracked and killed every single one of those monsters who tried to make me obey. One guy got a lucky hit and well…" I show them my back, earning a gasp from Tenten.

"Disgusting isn't it? I usually use a small genjutsu to hide it… one of my souvenirs from my past." I let out a small laugh. "I have no idea why I wanted to prove you wrong Neji… but I guess I wanted to show you that you're not that bad off." I reach for my tank top and slip it off before grabbing my vest.

"It's a pretty permanent reminder and I doubt someone could heal it… it's my punishment for escaping that prison." I let out another laugh before facing Tenten and Neji. Neji doesn't say anything, merely sending me a glare in response. As for Tenten, she sends me a pitying look. I hate that look, but I know she did not hold any malice.

"It's not the same."

I switch my gaze to him, seeing his body shake with rage.

"What do you even know? Your family does not trap you, nor do you know anything about the matter. All you're saying is useless prattle. You cannot escape your destiny, just like how you cannot escape the binds that come from your seal!"

I take a step back in surprise before steeling myself. Noticing his mistake, he widens his eyes before quickly composing himself.

"How much do you know?" I ask, deathly calm.

'He shouldn't know anything about it… so why does he know? What connection does he have to my clan?'

"Enough."

'So now he's back to his one word answers? Figures…'

"Tell me."

"It's of no real importance." He answers calmly before facing me.

"If it wasn't important, then I wouldn't ask in the first place."

After taking several deep breaths to calm myself down, I look up to see Neji looking at me with an unreadable expression.

"You really don't remember do you?" He mutters out.

"Remember what?"

"It's better that you don't." He states as he slowly walks away. Tenten sends me an apologetic look before following after him – leaving me to my own thoughts.

"What's with the sudden mood change…? Must be hormones or something… and here I thought only girls PMS."

* * *

><p>-Time skip-<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

Three days have passed since Naruto had been admitted to the hospital. Riku can be seen sitting opposite Shikamaru with a shoji board between them.

*tap*

"Your move." Riku mutters as she stares down at the board. The sand in the hourglass slowly drains away – reminding Shikamaru of the time limit he had to defeat the girl before him.

"Hm. You've gotten better…" Shikamaru mutters under his breath before looking over at Naruto. "This guy sleeps a lot. Maybe he's dead."

*tap*

"I doubt it. Just watch, he's going to wake up and demand food any second now."

*tap*

"What's this?" Shikamaru looks over at the hourglass to find the sand immobile. "Damn, it's stuck. How troublesome."

"Guess we'll call it a draw then." Riku sighs out. "And here I thought I could win this time."

"That would be surprising." Shikamaru mutters out before glancing over at Naruto. "Looks like he's waking up."

At that moment, Riku suddenly tenses before glancing out in the hallway.

"What's wrong?"

Riku glances back at Shikamaru with a puzzled expression. "I thought I felt something… but it's gone now…" She places a hand on her chin.

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"Ahh… yeah. You're probably right, but I'll go check it out really quick." Riku stands up from her seat and heads to the door, casting Shikamaru a reassuring smile before entering the hallway.

"Troublesome woman…" Shikamaru mutters out. 'Why does it feel like this isn't going to end well? …Knowing her, she's probably going to get herself in trouble… how troublesome…' Shaking his head slightly he focuses his attention back on the waking blonde before him.

**{~}**

~With Riku~

*tap*tap*tap*

Riku continues to walk through the corridor, noticing with growing concern the lack of doctors and nurses.

'Something isn't right here…'

Rounding a corner, she notices a darkened shadow entering Lee's room. Not taking any chances, she leans against the wall before slowly cracking the door open to find the figure standing over Lee's sleeping form. Opening the door, she sees Gaara snaking the sand around Lee.

'Lee!'

Water encases her arms before she lashes it out at the sand before freezing it in place. The sand trembles in its prison before shattering and clumping uselessly to the floor. Releasing a growl, Gaara sends the sand to retaliate. She tries to dodge the sand in response but notices the sand shackling her ankles in place.

'I should have noticed sooner.'

Knowing she could do little before the impact, she crosses her arms in front of herself as an ice wall forms, only to have the incoming sand smash through it before slamming her against the wall.

*Crack*Shatter*Thump*

"Damn it…" Riku shakes her head to clear away the black spots appearing in her vision. When she tries to move away from the wall, she notices the sand acting as shackles, chaining her limbs against the wall. Pumping chakra into her arms, Riku manages to break the sand holding her right arm only to have Gaara slam her throat back against the wall. Letting out a small growl, Riku lifts her head to meet Gaara's aquamarine orbs. A deranged smirk was adorning his face as he focuses his attention to the small trail of blood dripping down Riku's temple.

'Why is he looking at me like that?'

As the thought crosses her mind, a blurred image of a man speaking to her appears before her eyes. She couldn't make out the voice, but manages to read the words from his lips.

_Don't be afraid. Fear only comes to those who don't understand._

'Who was that? Why am I remembering this now?'

When Riku tries to produce a clearer image, a head-splitting pain envelopes her mind –causing her to release a small cry. Relishing in her pain, Gaara slowly leans in before running his tongue across the growing trail of blood on her face. Enjoying the feeling of the blood along his tongue, he grazes his teeth against the open wound to release more of the crimson liquid into his mouth. Gritting her teeth in pain, Riku makes another attempt to break free of his hold, only to have Gaara tighten his hold on her neck as he releases a feral growl.

"Ngh…" Lee's eyes slowly open as he looks around the room. Though his vision is blurry, he makes out the distinct blue hair.

"Eh? Riku? What are you-" Lee cuts himself off as he notices the compromising position of the two teens before him.

'You have got to be kidding me! He wakes up now?' (O.O) Riku thought exasperated.

"What are you doing? Let go of her!" Lee makes a move to escape his bed, only to have the idle sand wrap around his bandaged limbs. A startling pop fills the room, followed shortly by a painful cry from Lee.

"Lee…" Riku bites her bottom lip, contemplating the possible scenarios before another scream reaches her ears.

"Gaara… let him go."

He doesn't respond and merely busies himself with the blood trailing down Riku's temple.

*Crackle*Crack*Crackle*

Lightning crackles along her body before it blows away the sand encasing her arms and legs. Ignoring his surprised look, Riku makes her way over to Lee before using the water from the nearby vase to release the sand's hold.

"Lee… are you… alright?" Riku pants out, feeling the fatigue from the last attack catching up to her.

'There's still resistance. It doesn't fully accept me as its master, so I can't rely on it too much.'

"I'll… be ok…" Lee mutters before widening his eyes. Before Riku could react, Lee pushes Riku out of the way of a pillar of sand. Realizing Lee's intentions, Riku sends a lightning-infused punch towards the sand before shielding Lee from another wave of sand.

Riku and Gaara continue to exchange blows, but all the while, Lee attempts to protect Riku, but it only proves to hinder Riku's movements.

"Ugh that's it... gomen Lee."

"Eh?" (O.O)

*Thump*

Riku knocks Lee out by hitting the back of his neck before throwing him back on the bed as she dodges another wave of sand.

'He should calm down a bit now seeing as Lee's knocked out… hopefully…' Riku thought as she continues to dodge the sand away from Lee's sleeping form, eventually cornering her against a wall.

Knowing she had to let the sand capture her in order to keep Gaara distracted from Lee, she relaxes her form, allowing the sand to slam her against the wall once again. Not a second later, Gaara reappears with a feral grin before slamming her throat against the wall.

'What's with him and grabbing my throat?'

A small groan escapes her lips as she stares into Gaara's eyes to see his irises a tinted yellow.

'It's just like last time…' Riku thought as the pain begins to subside.

"More…" He growls out. "I need more…blood."

'Why… why is she driving him out? Why is it that I crave more of her blood… I want her… to break her. **I want to kill her**!'

A feral grin creeps along his face as he makes a move to encase Riku in his sand.

'At least he's not thinking about killing Lee…but if this keeps up, I don't have any option but to hurt him. He looks like he's in pain… just like Naruto… maybe that's why I want to help him… but even so, I'm afraid… not just for me… but for him as well… this doesn't make sense…' Riku closes her eyes.

'_**Baka you don't have time to think about this. If you don't do anything to stop him then I will! He's not the same as Naruto! Get. That. Through. Your. Thick. Skull!'**_

'That's not it… why am I even caring about this…' Riku thinks back to the phrase running through her mind moments before. 'Fear only comes to those who don't understand… I don't understand him at all…'

Riku glances up at Gaara with a sad smile. "Gomen ne, Gaara."

He snaps his gaze to her silver eyes, allowing the sand to slowly relax its hold on her body.

"N-nani?" He notices the familiar look in Riku's eyes before he grasps his head in pain – releasing Riku's throat in the process. The sand drops its hold as Gaara gazes back at Riku with confused aquamarine orbs. "Those eyes… you have the same eyes…" He mutters as he makes a move towards Riku's face.

'What's he talking about…?'

His hand runs downs Riku's face before stopping before her seal.

"Why are you here? You … you want to kill me again? Why…?"

"Gaara… I" Riku starts but is cut off.

"My body…" Gaara struggles to move closer towards Riku but to no avail. "…won't move."

"Hey you!" Naruto punches Gaara back towards the end of Lee's bed. "What the hell were you trying to do to Riku?"

Riku turns her head towards Naruto and Shikamaru and notices the annoyed expression on Shikamaru's face.

"Oi Naruto. When I'm using the Shadow Imitation Technique, I move along with him. Got it?" Shikamaru growls out.

"Gomen Shikamaru." Naruto rubs the back of his sheepishly as he focuses his attention towards Riku and Gaara. His sheepish grin immediately falls as he notices the red marks against Riku's throat. "What were you trying to do?" Naruto growls out. His face darkens as he continues to gaze at Gaara with an unreadable expression.

No answer. Gaara blatantly ignores him and shift his gaze in Riku's direction. "More interruptions…" He mutters out in disdain before moving his eyes to Naruto and Shikamaru.

"Oi! What did you do to Riku? Why are you in Fuzzy Brows room in the first place anyway?" Naruto shouts angrily.

"I tried to kill him," Gaara states before averting his gaze towards Riku. "She interfered but proved to be… an interesting toy."

Anger flashes through the two boys' eyes as they examine Riku's current condition. Strangle marks could be seen on Riku's throat. Blood smears coat her temple and cheek while her arms and leg show signs of bruising.

'I shouldn't have let her go on her own. Why does she keep getting herself in these situations… troublesome woman…' Containing his anger, Shikamaru returns his gaze towards Gaara. 'How can he be so calm? He shouldn't be able to move because of my Shadow Imitation Technique.'

"Why do you need to kill him? You won the match. Do you have some sort of person grudge against him?" Shikamaru asks. "Also, what does Riku have to do with this?"

"No. I'm going to kill him, because I want him dead." Gaara responds calmly. "As for the girl… she's… mine… her eyes… they're different…I want to see more of her… to see her cry and scream when I grow bored and kill her."

"That's the most selfish thing I heard. So you grew up in a bad environment, that doesn't give you an excuse to act like an egotistical bastard." Naruto snaps. "Besides, you can't treat Riku like some object!"

'He's weird. I'm getting the chills. If he does something, Naruto and I can't handle him. But…' Shikamaru diverts his gaze to Riku. 'Riku somehow managed to stop him before we came... yet in her condition right now… she might not be much help. Geez… what should I do?'

"If you bother me, I will kill you too." Gaara mutters out calmly.

"Nani? Just try it then!" Naruto exclaims.

"Oi, cut it out Naruto!" Shikamaru elbows Naruto in the ribs before facing Gaara once again. 'I guess I'll bluff to see how he'll react.'

"We know you're strong since we saw your match with him. But this guy here and I are pretty strong as well. We didn't show our strongest moves during the preliminaries and it's two against one. You're at a disadvantage. If you listen to us, we'll let you go."

"You know I'm still here right?" Riku mutters out in annoyance.

"You're not exactly in any condition to help." Shikamaru deadpans.

"That's debatable."

"Why are we talking about this now? If you haven't noticed, there's someone that wants to kill us standing in front of us." Shikamaru grumbles out as he face-palms.

"Really? I never noticed." Riku replies sarcastically.

"I'm only going to say this once more. If you bother me, I will kill you." Gaara interrupts.

'This guy…' Shikamaru trails off.

"You can't kill me!" Naruto exclaims confidently.

"I've been telling you to stop doing that! He's as strong as a monster. You know that right?"

Riku slightly flinches at the word, catching Gaara's attention.

"I have a real monster in me." "I'm one as well." Naruto and Riku say at the same time.

Not catching Riku's statement, Shikamaru exclaims, "Don't piss him off baka!"

"A monster eh? Then I am the same." He gaze doesn't break from Riku as the sand slowly wraps around her ankles. "As you have said, I grew up in a bad environment. I took the life of my mother when I was born…"

(AN: You know the story behind it, so I'm going to skip it.)

"What a twisted way to show love." Shikamaru states off-handedly.

"Love? Don't measure me by your values. Family? I'll tell you what kind of link I have with them. They are just lumps of meat linked by hatred and murderous intent." Gaara growls out. "I stole my mother's life to be created as the village's masterpiece and as the Kazekage's son, I was taught the secret of ninja techniques. I grew up after being protected, spoiled, and left alone. I thought that was love. Until that incident happened."

"What incident?" Shikamaru hesitantly asks.

No response.

'Stole the life of his mother…' Riku replays through her mind before a wave of pain washes through her head.

_*crack*_

_"Where's Hikari?"_

_"She…"_

_"You said she would be fine!"_

_*crack*_

_"She…. Monster… transfer… protect…."_

_"I won't accept that!"_

_*crack*_

_"If she needs a mother… then I'll take on that role."_

_"Shizuka…"_

_*crack*_

_"Ita… you'll protect her right?"_

_"Everything I do will be to protect her."_

*crack*

'I…what was… that…?'

The pain continues to take over her head – only allowing her to hear bits and pieces of the conversation.

"And this is what I concluded… I exist to kill everyone other than me... I fight only for myself… love … myself. As long … other people exist … the world … wonderful. As long as … people to kill in this world…to experience the thrill of killing…my existence … remains."

"What's wrong Naruto?"

Gripping the side of her head, Riku snaps her attention back to the others – noticing the fearful look in Naruto's eyes.

Gaara's eyes retain its yellow tint as a wave of sand appears behind him, growing, winding up as if ready to attack. Shikamaru and Naruto look fearfully on, but make no move. Without warning, the wave hurdles at the two, but they merely stand there. Noticing their lack of response, Riku makes a move to interfere only to notice the sand shackling her legs.

'Why didn't I notice this sooner?' Riku thought with growing panic.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru notices the blank look on Naruto's face. "Oi Naruto, wake up! Naruto! Tch. What a troublesome guy.

"No… don't…" Riku trails off and the sand begins to tighten the more she struggled. "Don't. Come. _**Out."**_

"This is it for us!" Shikamaru exclaims.

Before the sand reaches the two, Riku's figure manages to appear before them holding a defensive stance. Purple lightning crackles against her arms, while the seal on her neck pulsates a glowing crimson. Gaara's smirk widens as he notices the demonic eyes staring back at him.

"Stop right here." Gai steps through the door, halting the sand from its intended path. "The main matches are tomorrow. There's no need to get hasty, or do you want to get hospitalized today?"

At the sound of Gai's voice, Gaara grips his head in pain as the sand returns to his gourd. Ignoring the gazes sent his way, he staggers towards the door before looking back. "I will kill you guys for sure. Just you wait. I will claim what is mine."

"Are you guys alright?" Gai asks as he notices the wounds on Riku's skin burning away from existence.

"Geez… how troublesome… you should have come sooner." Shikamaru mutters before facing Naruto. "Oi Naruto. What happened back there?"

No response.

"Naruto?"

Still no response.

Sighing out, Riku turns around before flicking Naruto in the forehead. Seeing as she miscalculates the amount of strength, Naruto's head rolls back a bit more than intended.

"Ow. What was that for Riku?" Naruto pouts as he rubs the front of head before widening his eyes. "You're…"

Riku merely sends him a smile before placing a finger to her lips. "_**Strike two.**_" She whispers to herself before her eyes return to their normal silver. "Just waking you up Naruto. I don't want you to run away from the matches tomorrow."

He blinks for several moments before shaking his head. "Who said I was going to run away." Naruto mutters out with less enthusiasm than what is deemed normal for him.

"You're afraid." Riku deadpans.

"I am not!"

"Oi you two. Cut it out." Shikamaru states before sending a glare towards Riku. "And you. What were you thinking taking him on? He could have killed you! What happened to being more careful? Do you want me to have a heart attack?"

"Why are you so worried? He didn't kill me!"

"He could have! It doesn't matter why I'm worried. Explain why we found you pinned to a wall!"

"I had to distract him somehow. If I didn't then he would have gone after Lee!"

"What did he do to you?" Naruto interrupts.

"Eh?" A slight blush tints Riku's face as she remembers Gaara's tongue running along her skin. "Nothing that could have killed me." She grumbles out, still a bit upset over the incident. "Same thing as what happened on the full moon…"

Upon hearing this, both boys widen their eyes as variety of possibilities flood through their minds.

"I said that out loud didn't I?" Riku asks Gai, which he replies with a slight nod. "Youth these days…I can't believe they're enjoying their fountain of youth this early!"

"Eh? What are you talking about?" (-_-;)

"To think little Riku would be growing up this fast!"

"Wait. What?" She blanches before taking a step back.

"Have you been reading my eternal rival's books lately? To think that he would corrupt your mind so early!"

"N-nani! That's not-" Riku waves her arms in front of her in a "no" gesture, only to have Gai clamp his hands on her shoulders with a serious expression on his face.

"May youth's power be with you young one." Gai states before walking out of the room.

'I think I just died a bit inside.' Riku thought as she turns her attention to the two boys before her. 'What did I just get myself into?'

"Riku… you… he…" Naruto mutters out as a small blush crosses his cheeks.

'How did this conversation get here? I think I miss Shika yelling at me…'

"Not. Another. Word." Riku mutters through clenched teeth before face palming. "You misunderstand… if it wasn't for Sasuke then-"

"Eh you did it with the teme too?" (O.O)

"Did what?" Riku mutters out confused. (O.O)

Before Naruto could say another word, Shikamaru covers his mouth – realizing the mistake he was about to make.

"Nothing…" Shikamaru mutters out before releasing a sigh. "Look. Stop trying to get yourself killed alright? Both of us don't want to see you get hurt."

"Can't promise that. I'm a ninja after all. We tend to get hurt quite a lot actually."

"You know what I mean…"

"Ahh… I'm lucky to have friends like you two."

"Of course! We'll always be friends Riku." Naruto exclaims as his grin returns.

'I wonder… when I gain all my memories back… will you still be there with me? This isn't something I want to gamble, but it's not like I had a choice.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A bit of a lame ending, but I didn't want the situation to be so tense. Riku's a bit oblivious at times, but it makes it more interesting that way. Please leave a review about the story or pairings. Posted below is what I have so far. Until next time.<strong>

**Ja ne~**

**{~}**

Riku x Naruto (1)

Sasuke x Riku x Naruto (1)

Neji x Riku (2)

Shikamaru x Riku (1)

Deidera x Riku x Sasori (1)

Itachi x Riku (2)

Pein x Riku (1)

Hidan x Riku (1)

_New Note: Some things have been changed around in this chapter and some new scenes were added in the beginning. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for everyone who's been reading. I really appreciate it and hopefully I'll be able to get through all these rewrites so I can go ahead with the new chapters. If you want to leave any comments or have any concerns, feel free to leave a message. I'll update the votes and address the reviews when chapter 21 comes out. Thanks again. _


	18. Chapter 18: Final Matches

-Chapter 18: Final Matches with a Side of Snake-

**~Some revision was made to make Naruto's character a bit more developed. Thanks for pointing out that mistake for me. I'll address the other points made in the reviews in the next chapter. Riku gets a new look so she'll look like the story cover mostly.~**

**AN: There's some filler information in this chapter, but it helps move the story along so please bear with me. I know I haven't updated in a while, and I'm sorry but at least I'm still writing the story? (^.^;) I would like to thank everyone who has read, alerted, favorite, or reviewed this story. It was because of the reviews that I decided to work for three days straight on this chapter.**

**Special thanks to BlondeTwig, momorocks101ful, Personheretolookatstories, Thunder of Life, LoneWolfPack, lostfeather1, and kawaiimuffinsfor reviewing the last chapter. It means a lot to me and if it weren't for them, this chapter would have been out later.**

**BlondeTwig****: I'm glad you like the story enough to keep up with it. It's fun for me to write out the interactions Riku has with Naruto and Sasuke. Unfortunately, this chapter doesn't really focus on Sasuke that much, but he will show up in the next chapter.**

**momorocks121ful****: Thanks for the input. There's going to be a slight fluff scene at the end. ;D**

**Personheretolookatstories****: I am really glad you like the scene I wrote for the last chapter. There's going to be a similar one at the end of this chapter. Thanks for the input for the other pairings. I'll keep that in mind when I think of the final pairing for this story.**

**Thunder of Life****: Yeah… the mushroom comment was something I randomly thought of when I was eating chocorooms. They are tiny biscuits that are attached to a chocolate shroom-cap looking thing. I'm really happy you like this story and Riku is getting more and more oblivious as the story goes on. I find that a bit sad, so I'm going to bring back some of her jokes in next chapter.**

**LoneWolfPack****: Thanks for the input and I finally updated. I'll work on the next chapter sometime this week and try to get it out before the end of this month.**

**lostfeather1****: Thanks for the review and the message. I'm pretty surprised that a lot of people reviewed this chapter, but it makes me happy knowing that there are people who are interested in this story. Riku is a strong character and she does possess attributes that many people can relate to. I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue review and reading.**

**kawaiimuffins****: The love triangle is a good idea. I'll probably dedicate at least two scenes to that, but not sure if that could work as a major pairing. I guess we will have to see, won't we? ;D I'm glad you like Riku's character. She's basically a mash-up of qualities I see in people.**

**{~}**

**Mini note:**** If anyone has any ideas they want to see or any specific relationship scenes, then feel free to message me or leave a review and I'll try to add it into the story.**

_*Altered Chapter (see Announcement 3)_

* * *

><p><strong>Other notes:<strong>

"Speaking out loud"

'Riku's thoughts'

'_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice_

***sound effects***

*sound effects*

**(-.-); or (-.-;) = Riku sweat dropping**

**(= -.- =) = Naruto's expressions**

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p>'<em>Memories are always fickle things. At times you feel as though you're so close to unlocking everything that was hidden from you, but in a split second you realize that you merely scratched the surface. The deeper I go into my memories, the more lost I become.'<em>

_~Riku Amarante_

* * *

><p>-Time skip-<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

Night had already fallen, covering the entire village in a blanket of darkness. Nothing could be heard but the soft lulling of the wind or the various crickets chirping at random intervals. The only thing disrupting the darkness is the bright illumination of the moon hovering to the right of Riku's seated position on her windowsill. With each breath, she feels a strength pulsating through her body.

'One of the perks of being a water bender.' Riku thought with a smile before glancing up at the moon. 'It's almost full…' A frown enters her face before she brings her knees to her chest. 'Why do I feel like something's going to happen tomorrow… something big?'

Every full moon had been met with an incident, so it was an understandable assertion.

'_**Tomorrow's the day… are you excited… or afraid?**_' Minori purrs sweetly in Riku's mind.

Riku allows a small smile to enter her face. 'I'm excited of course. Still, something just doesn't feel right.' Her smile drops. 'It's the same feeling I had when I was at the hospital… It would be a mistake to just pass it off as nothing.'

'_**Hmm… it seems you're learning. Just remember, you have only one chance left. You better not waste it~'**_

Riku rolls her eyes. 'I didn't ask you to take over.'

'_**What would have happened if I hadn't?'**_

'Nothing. Gai-sensei would have stopped Gaara from hurting them.' Riku responds as she twirls several loose strands of hair.

_**'You didn't seem so sure then. You were calling out for power that time. You wanted to protect them yourself, so you allowed me to take over. Do you deny it?'**_

'… I don't deny it. I was careless,' She allows her hair to flow through her fingers, 'I wanted to protect them and that clouded my judgment; I couldn't think of other possibilities and felt cornered. It makes me wonder what happened to all that training I had with Ibiki… he was sure to drill me on how to react in these types of situations, but I suppose he never took you into account. Maybe it's just you.'

'_**Excuses. Excuses. Why don't you just say, "I messed up" like a normal person?'**_

Riku smirks. 'Who ever said I was normal. Besides, being a ninja automatically makes you abnormal.'

*eye roll* _**'Whatever comes your way tomorrow, be ready for it. I wouldn't want my host to die on me, for that would ruin all the fun.**_'

'Ahh… thanks for being so considerate…'

'_**I try.'**_

Trailing her leg along the side of the wall, Riku continues to gaze at the cloudless sky.

"Tomorrow's the day…" Riku mutters to herself before switching her gaze to Naruto's slightly opened window, noticing in concern his rigid posture.

'He's still awake and worried… especially after what happened with Gaara…'

As the thought crosses her mind, she recalls the fear clearly etched across his face as he stood motionless in front of Gaara's incoming sand. All his muscles were locked in place. His eyes… his normally cheerful blue eyes held fear and resignation. He felt powerless at the moment and thought it was futile to go against Gaara – he was accepting his death, his demise, deeming there was no escape. They were the same thoughts running through his eyes the first time she met him. It was…

"Pathetic." She mutters out. "It looks like both of us still have a long way to go…" She sighs out before leaning further against the window frame. Looking at Naruto's slightly opened window, she notices him turning under the blankets once again before angrily throwing them off and opening the window.

"Man… am I even ready?" Naruto sighs out and he rests his arms on the window sill. "I mean… I've been training this whole time… but… *sigh*" He rests his chin on top of his arms and glances up at the moon sadly. "I wonder if Riku's ok…"

"Why don't you ask her?"

Naruto snaps his gaze over to Riku's to see her relaxing on the window sill with a smirk on her face.

"Eh? When did you get there?"

Riku places a finger on her chin. "Several years ago. You know, when I moved in next door to you." She answers with a smile, earning herself a head shake.

"Can't you just answer the question…" Naruto mumbles before covering his face in his arms.

"Ahh… but I did, didn't I? Try being more specific next time." Riku responds before sending a curious look to Naruto. "Can't sleep?"

"Whpf habe uve vat deah?" (What gave you that idea?) He mumbles into his arms.

"Well, the fact you're out here right now. Usually I'm the night owl." Riku jokes before her smile falls. "Ne… are you worried about tomorrow?"

He doesn't answer, giving Riku his answer.

*sigh*

"You know you belong in the final matches as much as every one of the other participants, Naru."

Still no response.

"Look, you got through because of your will and your determination. I say that counts for a lot. Not many ninja have the same determination as you – the will and passion to go past any obstacle to reach your goal, to become Hokage."

Naruto finally peeks out and gazes at Riku with widened eyes, causing a smile to enter her face.

"You've come a long way Naruto. From playing pranks on the villagers to saving Inari's village… you keep growing… you're growing stronger and stronger from every obstacle…every challenge you face. You just have yet to realize it."

His eyebrows furrow in deep thought as he takes in the words. Not long after, a sad smile enters his face. "Heh. I've never heard you talk so much Riku. But even if you say that, it doesn't change the fact that everyone else in the village believes that I don't stand a chance against Neji. And after seeing what Gaara could do, am I even ready?"

Riku shakes her head before jumping off her perch to land on the railing in front of Naruto. His eyes widen when he sees his friend leaning toward his face with a serious expression.

"What happened to my confident ramen-loving friend?" She pokes him in the forehead. "It doesn't matter what the people in the village think right now. What matters is that you're going to prove them wrong tomorrow." She smiles before ruffling his hair. "Besides, knowing you, you'd find some way to win. Hell, you can even play a prank on him for all I care. If it's you designing it, of course it'll work."

A blush spreads across Naruto's face as he realizes how close the two are from each other. He stares at her side for a moment before confusion reflects in his eyes.

'Her side looks weird… Kinda like that genjutsu before the start of the exam.' Naruto thought in confusion. Not noticing the curious gaze on Naruto's face, she closes her eyes and releases a small sigh.

"Ahh… Naruto."

Switching his gaze back to Riku's face, he answers, "Nani?"

She opens her eyes and glances down with a sad smile. "Do you remember that time you stopped me from going berserk?"

He blinks for several moments, confused as to where she would go with this. "Uhh yeah… there were several times, but I remember the one that seemed to affect you the most was when you found a group of guys hurting me…" Naruto trails off, noticing the growing frown on Riku's face. "Hey… why are you bringing this up now?"

Riku closes her eyes again before lowering her hand to the side of his face, rubbing the whisper-shaped scars.

"Because… what you saw that day is no different from Gaara." She feels Naruto stiffen. "He's just like me…no us, Naru, except he's been alone this whole time. We always had each other… if it weren't for you, I'd probably be the same as him." She lets out a dry laugh. "He's so confused… I can hear it."

"You did too?"

Riku blinks in surprise. "Ah… so you did hear it. Maybe it has to do with the demon inside you, but you can hear his pain right?"

Naruto slowly nods. "He… wanted to be accepted but then something made him believe that killing others was the only way to survive."

"Looks like you understand. So if you face him again… just think of it as if it was me losing control. All you have to do is knock some sense into him like you do me… just more violently." Riku releases a small chuckle before noticing Naruto's dumbfounded expression. Riku pulls away with a pout. "Ahh.. what's with that look?"

Naruto shakes his head before placing his hand over Riku's. "You make things sound so easy." He lets out a nervous laugh, causing Riku to smile in response.

"And surprisingly you overthink." Riku jokes, earning a pout from Naruto.

"Oi." He protests before a contemplative look enters his face. "Ne Riku… why did you avoid me after that incident… you never told me why… You know I wasn't mad at you right?"

She releases a sigh. "It wasn't because I was afraid you were mad at me. I was afraid I was going to lose control again." Riku answers. "Every time I saw those people glaring at you or try to hurt you, I wanted to…" She looks away guiltily," I thought I would lose control again. At the time, I was still undergoing training with Ibiki to control my emotions. I wanted to protect you, but I didn't want to put you in a situation where I could have hurt you when I lost control."

"That was why you kept avoiding me?" Naruto questions before tightening his hold on her hand. "I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore. I could have helped you! Why did you want to protect me when you couldn't even protect yourself?"

"Just because~" Riku teases, only to receive an annoyed groan in response.

"Give me a serious answer for once!"

She tilts her head to the side before placing a finger to her chin. "I believe I have, but I guess it's because you mean a lot to me. Simple answer huh?"

"Riku…" Naruto trails off. "Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell me you were confused and hurt? If it was bothering you, then you should have said something."

Riku shifts her gaze so that it matched Naruto's. "What was I supposed to say then? 'Let me protect you. I'm afraid of change, so don't grow up.' It doesn't work that way. When I was still a 'boy,' I couldn't be seen as weak or vulnerable. If I was, then I would become another target for the villagers and I wouldn't have been able to protect you from them. That was why I had to remain impassive and shrug things off as if they weren't important. But even so… when you learned I was a girl," Riku bites the bottom of her lip before letting out an empty laugh, "Geez…I'm really selfish aren't I?" She places her other hand on Naruto's face. "I don't want to share you… but I have to."

"E-eh… you…" Naruto frowns before a faint blush dusts his cheeks. "I… I don't want to share you either… especially not with Sasuke-teme." He mumbles before placing a hand on hers. "But I don't mind as long as I'm your number one guy." He finishes with a cheeky smile, causing Riku to let out a laugh.

"I'm not so sure about that…" Riku trails off, a mischievous grin on her face. "Sasuke and Shika may have you beat."

He sputters.

"And you shouldn't go around saying stuff like that so easily." Riku warns with a serious expression. "Sasuke might get jealous. You shouldn't cheat on him baka." She finishes before taking her hands out of his grasp and patting him on the head. "I hear Sasuke's a pretty possessive guy. Must be tough huh?"

"Oi it's nothing like that!" He flails his arms, causing Riku to let out a small smirk.

"So that kiss was uncalled for then?"

Naruto's face becomes tomato red.

"I thought you said you were never going to mention it again." He whines before a queasy expression overtakes his face.

"Ahh… you're thinking about it though…" Riku closes one of her eyes. "Judging from your expression… he must have been a pretty bad kisser."

"Riku!"

A small laugh escapes her lips. "You just make it too easy." She pats him on the shoulder. "It's alright. You two just need to practice more."

Naruto hangs his head before a cloud appears over his head. Silence overtakes the conversation for several lingering moments before Naruto lifts his face to see Riku's amused expression.

"Riku…" Naruto starts, catching her attention, "I … don't want you to be my shield. I don't want you to be like Haku and throw your life away for me… we're a team. We've always been there for each other, so nothing's going to change that. Believe it." Riku smiles, causing a smile to enter his face as well. "You've changed." She tilts her head to the side in confusion.

"I have?"

Naruto nods before a smile creeps on his face.

"Ha I finally got you stumped." He cheers – earning himself a flick to the forehead before he continues, "Well, when I first met you, you seemed dead. You rarely showed emotions or spoke your mind. You always kept everything in and thought you could do everything yourself. But I realized it was all an act the day I saw you in the berserker state for the first time. I realized you were the same as me. You felt lost, but you tried to hide it. Now, you're actually showing your emotions and speaking your mind. You've really changed." He finishes with a cheeky smile before pulling Riku into a bone-crushing hug. "And I never thought I'd be hugging you like this either." He adds, causing smirk to enter Riku's face.

"I _was_ technically a guy at the time and I don't think you were really interested in guys Naru. Or maybe you were just hiding it ne?" She comments, causing him to sputter in response, "I do know you secretly _like_ Sasuke. You sure you're not just trying to make him jealous?"

A blank look enters Naruto's face before he tightens his hold on Riku. "Maybe." This causes Riku to glance down at Naruto in confusion. "The teme might need to be jealous." Naruto mumbles, causing Riku to shake her head.

'Playing along now?'

Riku thought before trailing her fingers through his hair, not noticing the pleased smile entering Naruto's face.

'I don't get it…' He furrows his brows. 'Why do I feel this way around her… it's just like when I'm around Sakura-chan, but different.' He snuggles against Riku. 'This feels nice… I don't really want this to end…'

To his disappointment, Riku pulls away, but that soon ends when she leans forward to place a small kiss on his forehead. Sputtering in response, he backs away as he places a hand over his forehead. Red faced, he stutters a quick why, earning himself a smirk in response.

"For good luck." She answers as she places a finger on the side of her face. "See you tomorrow."

With that she jumps into her open window, landing softly against the wooden floor. Before she closes the window, she hears a soft thank you, causing her to pause before she shakes her head.

"I should be the one saying that… baka." She murmurs, recalling his words the night she lost control.

_No matter what happens, I will always forgive you. You're my first friend, so I'll never betray you._

"You keep making this harder and harder Naruto." She mutters sadly to herself.

'I don't know what these emotions mean, but they won't change anything…I hope. Stupid hormones…'

Releasing an annoyed sigh, she runs a hand through her tussled hair before facing one of the nearby buildings. Narrowing her eyes, she sees a slight hitch in the building's shadow allowing her to make out a human silhouette. 'A stalker?' She lowers her hand to her side.

"I don't know your game…" She murmurs to herself before allowing a smirk to appear on her face, "But I will bring you down."

**{~}**

**(Unknown Perspective)**

Riku. Foolish, misguided Riku. Her fate was already sealed the moment she met Orochimaru-sama. No matter how hard she tries, she will always fall back into the mold she was forced into in the beginning: a mindless tool. The moment I met her, I knew she would prove to be interesting. Her determination… her strength… her resemblance to her mother… and especially her demon…no wonder Orochimaru-sama seemed _so_ fond of her. She can be the key to the village's destruction if played right.

As the thoughts cross my mind, I see her facing, more so glaring, in my direction as if silently challenging me. Who knew she was _this_ perceptive? I can't help the smirk appearing on my face. She truly is an amusing girl. So naïve despite everything she's endured. So tainted despite her appearance. So weak yet so strong… a true paradox.

'You're simply an amazing specimen to observe, Riku-chan.'

"Challenge accepted, my friend. Looks like we'll be meeting again soon." I mutter as I adjust my glasses, allowing the glare from the moon to hide my eyes.

'Don't disappoint me now.'

* * *

><p>-Time skip: the next day-<p>

After attaching several water-sealed scrolls onto her belt, Riku sends a cursory glance around her room – scanning the scroll-filled shelves and the diagrams scattered across the floor before pausing her eyes on the photo of team 7. A small smile enters her face as she trails her fingers on the corners of the frame before letting out a laugh at the disgruntled faces of Naruto and Sasuke. Shaking her head, she drops her hand to her side before entering the living room to see an unusually large package under Katsuyu.

Blinking in surprise, Riku makes her way over to the table.

"Good morning, Riku." The slug replies pleasantly.

"Right back at you. Ahh… not to be rude, but why are you here?" Riku answers before rubbing the back of her head.

Not at all insulted, Katsuyu replies, "Tsunade-sama wanted me to deliver a package to you and to wish you luck. I'm merely relaying the wishes of my lady."

A smile enters Riku's face, "I see. Arigato for going through the trouble, Katsuyu."

"It's no trouble at all. I wish you the best of luck on your matches and that my lady's selections are to your liking." With that, Katsuyu disappears in a puff of smoke, causing Riku to tilt her head to the side in confusion.

"Selections?" She mutters to herself in confusion before glancing over at the box. "Not like staring at it will help."

Taking out kunai, Riku opens the seams to find several tomes dedicated to human anatomy, herbs, and medical jutsu.

*laughs*

"She _definitely_ wasn't joking when she said I barely scratched the surface in terms of knowledge for a medic nin." Calming down, Riku picks up an unlabeled scroll before unraveling it to find a message.

_Oi Kid._

_Even though I'm not there to supervise you, it doesn't mean you can slack off on your studies! As my soon-to-be apprentice, you're going to have to know all of these texts by heart. I expect them to be committed to memory by the time I come back for you! _

_Anyway, today's the final matches. I left you a little present, so be sure to use them. They were inspired by one of my old students. Anyway, knock them dead out there, you hear me? I didn't spend several weeks training you for you to fail that exam! You've come far from the first day I met you. Whatever comes your way, don't back down._

_-Tsunade_

'Still the same Tsunade I remember – highly demanding and quick-tempered. Well I did ask her to give me her best shot...looks like I won't be bored any time soon.'

Allowing a small smile to enter her face, Riku takes out the various books before seeing another wrapped package at the bottom.

"Must be her present…"

Pulling apart the wrapping, Riku finds a black jacket and what appeared to be arm bandages.

'This jacket…' Furrowing her brows, Riku takes a kunai before stabbing the fabric to see no give; it wouldn't cut. 'What's this material? It's similar to some of the fabrics in the clan, but those fabrics aren't easy to replicate…' Putting the jacket back down, Riku picks up some of the bandage wraps before putting it to the test with her kunai; it wouldn't cut either.

"Where did she get this?" Riku murmurs to herself before sifting through to box to pull out a pair of ninja sandals with seals on the bottom soles. [Think of the ones that Sakura wears in Shippuden.]

'Again with the weights… guess she didn't like the fact that they were too obvious… Looks like the seals are the same as the ones psycho-sensei uses, just with slight variations.'

"Looks like I'll be putting your gifts to use Tsunade."

With that, Riku changes into the jacket and sandals before discarding the ankle weight bands into the back of her closet. "Good riddance…" Riku mumbles to herself before glancing at her reflection. Her hair is still tied in pigtails ending in the middle of her back whereas her green vest and purple tank top is replaced by the new jacket and a simple white tank top. She still wears her black shorts and belt, but her old sandals are replaced by calf-length ones. Her shin and forearm guards are no longer there; instead, wrapped around her palms and forearms is the armor-like fabric, courtesy of Tsunade. After adjusting the weighted sandals to the correct weight, she leaves the bedroom before entering the living room. Casting a smile at the package, Riku voices her appreciation for the gift before closing the door with a decisive click, not noticing the stray piece of paper fluttering onto the ground.

Inside was a seemingly simple message that could have prevented much of the events that were being set in motion this very minute.

_Be careful of the past repeating._

**{~}**

-Scene change: Amarante Compound-

Stopping in front of the memorial, Riku places three white chrysanthemums before taking a step back.

"I feel like I'm dressed for mourning…" Riku jokes lightly as she stares at three names.

AMARANTE KAITO

AMARANTE HIKARI

AMARANTE SHIZUKA

"But seeing as I've never mourned for your deaths… it's fitting, isn't it? Shouldn't I mourn for the rest of my life?"

No answer. Not even something that could be considered a sign.

She releases a small sigh before placing her hands into her pockets. "Aunt Shizuka… you pretended to be oka-san…"

The wind picks up, causing her to release a shaky breath.

"So I really did take away oka-san's life." She allows her bangs to cover her face before she releases a scoff. "You could have just said something… I could have taken it."

"I highly doubt that gaki." A voice comments.

*sigh*

"Psycho-sensei." Riku mutters, not turning to look at her sensei.

Frowning, Anko uncrosses her arms before making her way over to her student. "So this is where the little maggot escaped to. You're not thinking of running away from the matches are you?" She quirks as eyebrow, but Riku still doesn't respond – causing Anko's frown to deepen. "Oi gaki! Quit it with the whole doom and gloom act already. It's annoying."

"If it annoys you that much, then you can just leave. Free village and all." Riku sends Anko back a careless wave.

"Gaki…" Anko grounds out before turning her student around and suspending her by her jacket. "Listen here gaki. Shizuka may not have been your actual mother, but at least you had someone there as one, even if it was short. I never had that so count yourself lucky."

Riku stares back at Anko evenly before a small smile enters her face.

"Never took you for the sentimental person." She laughs. "But I'm not upset she lied to me, or that I took my mother's life… ok maybe a bit for that… but I hate the fact that she had to pretend for me."

Anko frowns before dropping her student back onto the ground. "Baka. She never pretended for that. She actually cared for you like a mother would." She crosses her arms before softening her expression, though barely noticeable. "Oi gaki… you know you deserve to live your own dream right? Your little act in the prelims didn't fool me." Anko points a thumb to her chest as a smirk enters her face. "You can't fool the master. After all, you're still just a maggot to me."

Riku makes a move to protest only to have Anko wrap an arm around her neck before she ruffles Riku's hair, earning cries of protest from the trapped genin.

"Don't lose sight of yourself ne gaki? You're no longer that old prune's puppet. You're a proud ninja and my student so act like it. No more running away and no more broken masks now. You're too old for them!"

"And you're just plain old!" Riku retorts before escaping Anko's clutches. Anko sends her a glare that Riku returns with equal intensity before smiles creep on their faces and they share a laugh.

"I can't believe I missed you." Riku chokes out between her laughs, earning her a surprised look from Anko.

"Eh? Can't say I feel the same way gaki." Anko snips before a smile enters her face. "Who am I kidding, of course I missed my punching bag!"

Rolling her eyes, Riku shakes her head in disbelief before facing the memorial once again. Catching Riku's line of sight, Anko releases a small sigh before placing a hand on Riku's shoulder.

"Look gaki. I may not be the most sentimental person out there… Hell, I hate that crap, but…" Anko bites her bottom lip before continuing. "Your parents would be proud of you, so don't think for a second you should have died that day. Don't go ruining what your parents fought to protect hear me? I didn't spend something or so years training you for nothing." Anko allows a smile to enter her face. "When I see you at the matches today, knock them dead. Show everyone what you're made of Riku."

Riku's eyes widen before she faces Anko to see a cheesy smile.

'That's the first time you've used my name… man, have we gotten soft. But once in a while, maybe it's not too bad.'

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Riku responds, "and Anko-sensei… arigato. For everything."

Releasing a bark of laughter, Anko smacks Riku on her back. "Hai hai. Enough of that sentimental crap. It's time for us to head to the matches so let's get going gaki!"

With that, Anko leads the way out of the compound, but before Riku follows after her, she glances back the memorial once more, no longer feeling the unsettling weight on her shoulders.

'You really have a way with words psycho-sensei…'

"Hurry up gaki!"

"Hai. Hai."

**{~}**

-Scene change: arena-

"We're early, aren't we?" Riku asks as she leans against the railing. No one was in the area, save for the two of them. "You really need to work on your timing."

The comment earns her a harsh slap on the back.

"No back talking gaki." Anko huffs. "Everyone's just late."

Riku rolls her eyes before releasing a disbelieving snort. "Doubt it."

Rubbing the back of her head, Anko answers, "Well, I'll just go check in with the Hokage. You just stay here and wait until the matches start. Remember…"

"Knock them dead." The two finish with grins before Anko disappears in a cloud of smoke.

Grasping at the damaged ring dangling around her neck, Riku thinks back to Sasuke's brother – trying to recall something, anything about him only to receive an image of blood-red eyes then nothing. Frustrated, she allows the ring to slip from her fingers as she stares at the arena.

'Oi Minori. I know you're looking into my thoughts right now. Just wanted to say you're important to me regardless of what you are and what you've done.'

Silence dominates her mind before Minori interrupts.

'… _**I know. I never could understand you humans. Always being able to care for things that are illogical. But I suppose that makes me illogical as well, seeing as I do care for you… if only a mere speck.'**_

'Ahh… how sweet. Finally took you long enough to realize it.'

'… _**now that I think about it, it's not even a speck… no… it's more like a water molecule.'**_

'No need to be shy. Just let it all out.'

'_**You… *sigh* I don't know why I put up with you.'**_

'One: because we're stuck with each other. And two: you know you secretly want to~'

'_**I suppose… Get ready for today. You never know what snake could be hiding within the innocent lambs.'**_

'Isn't the saying _watch out for a wolf in sheep's clothing_, not a snake?'

'_**Now who ever gave you that idea? Look out for the snake little one. It won't do us well for you to get poisoned.'**_

Minori's voices fades from her mind, leaving Riku to her own thoughts.

'A hidden snake… only thing I can think of is Orochimaru, but everyone's been on high alert ever since the second exam.' She fiddles with her stray bangs as she furrows her eyebrows in thought. 'But then again, he's breached security before…'

*sigh*

'I might be overthinking this… but-' Her mind flashes to the human silhouette the night before. 'Something doesn't seem right… I better be on guard.'

-Time skip-

Finally growing bored of just lounging around, Riku makes her way through the empty halls of the stadium, listening to the echoing taps of her footsteps.

*tap*tap*tap*

Thoughts continue to swim around in her head, formulating possible scenarios that could match Minori's warnings. A feeling of uneasiness settles on her mind as the outcomes become grimmer and grimmer.

"What am I doing? I'm getting worked up over nothing…" Riku mutters to herself, "Minori could be playing me for all I know…but she doesn't have anything to gain from that." Riku pinches the bridge of her nose as she releases a frustrated sigh.

"You shouldn't talk to yourself."

At the voice, Riku's snaps her head up to see Neji casually leaning against the wall.

"I didn't exactly take you as someone who would care." Riku responds evenly.

"I don't. You just aren't particularly soft spoken."

"Ahh… well… I can't really argue with that." Riku states with a shrug. "You seem pretty confident for your match against Naruto."

"Hmph. His loss was already determined the moment he was matched up against me." Neji states off-handedly.

"Sure…" Riku trails off as she rolls her eyes, "You're really stuck on the whole destiny and fate thing. The sooner you let that go, the happier you would be. Nothing is really set in stone. Things happen that you can't control, but it's more like what you do from those incidents that really matter you know?"

"Tch. You know nothing about fate. You can't escape it… it doesn't give you a choice."

"Really now? Ahh… before you make assumptions, why not learn more about the person." Riku states while wagging a finger as if taunting the boy, "If that's what you think, then Naruto shouldn't have too much of a problem beating you."

"Nani?"

"Temper. Temper. Learn to look past your hatred for the truth of the matter. It will do well for you to keep that in mind if you ever want to be more than a genin." Before Neji could comment, Riku sends him a two-finger salute before disappearing around the turn of the hallway.

"Still the same naïve girl as before…" Neji mutters as he too makes his way towards the stadium. "She still has yet to remember her fate."

**{~}**

**(First person perspective)**

-Scene change: Inside the Arena-

All of the contestants line up and face the crowd save for Naruto and Sasuke. I can't help but glance back at the stadium entrance from time to time in hopes that my orange-clad friend would suddenly hurl towards us with a smile on his face apologizing for his tardiness. As for Sasuke, he's probably running on Kaka-sensei's internal clock and wouldn't make it until later.

'Maybe I should have come here with Naruto…'

As the thought crosses my mind, I see an orange blur tumbling over to us before skidding to a stop – Naruto.

"What kind of entrance was that?" I mutter as I help Naruto up.

"How troublesome." Shika sighs out as he too walks over to help Naruto.

Before we could pull him up, he quickly jumps to his feet yelling, "Everyone, run! The entire village's bulls… the bulls are going after everyone!"

"You're joking." Shika and I deadpan.

"No, I'm serious; they were right there!" Naruto stops his rant as he glances at the other participants. "Oi, where's Sasuke?"

"The Dosu guy who was supposed to fight Riku isn't here as well." Shika comments as he glances at the participants.

'He's right… Dosu isn't someone who would give up… what happened to him…'

"Hey, you three. Stop walking around. Stand up straight and show your faces to the crowd." Genma lightly chastises. "You guys are the main players in the upcoming match."

Dismissing my thoughts, I scan across the stands – seeing countless eyes staring back at me in anticipation for the upcoming matches. It was a nice sight.

After Ojii-san announces the start of the matches, Genma calls us together.

"Before the matches start, there are some things I need to tell you. There has been a little change in the match ups, so check to see who you're going against again." Genma states as he pulls out a chart. All the other matches were the same except for mine. I was to fight Temari and whoever won that match would have to fight Shika.

"Oi. Oi!" Naruto exclaims.

"Nani?" Genma replies.

"Sasuke hasn't shown up yet. What are we going to do?"

"If he doesn't come here by the time his match starts, *flicks senbon in mouth up* he will lose the match by default." Genma concludes. "Anyway, listen up. Although the landscape is different, the same rules from the preliminaries still apply: there are no rules. The match will end when someone dies or gives up. But if I decide that a match is over, I will stop the match. Do not argue with me about it, got it?"

Everyone nods in reply.

"The first match is Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji. The rest of you need to go back to the waiting room."

As the other participants make their way up to the stands, I linger behind for a moment to glance at Naruto and Neji. Neji seemed to be brimming with confidence as with Naruto. A smile creeps along my face as I make my way towards the stands with the other participants. 'He's getting more independent. I can't wait to see how he will win this match.'

At the start of the match, Naruto sends countless shadow clones towards Neji, who easily evades every single one. Before Naruto can send another onslaught of attacks, Neji rushes through the crowd to attack what he believes to be the real Naruto. Much to his dismay, the clone disappears in a cloud of smoke as two more Narutos charge at him from behind. Smirking, Neji stops Naruto's punch with his chakra before spinning – creating a dome of chakra to push Naruto away.

"Hakkeshou Kaiten." I mutter out. I didn't think Neji would be able to use such an advanced technique, but what confused me was how I knew its name. It looked vaguely familiar, but I don't remember ever seeing it before.

'Regardless… there is one weak point,' I thought as I glance at the untouched ground below Neji's feet, 'that move does not protect what's underneath him. Maybe that could be the key to beating him… Naruto, figure it out.'

"Jyuuken Move, Hakke Rokujuuyonshou." (Divination Field, 64 strikes)

I snap out of my thoughts as I see Neji relentlessly attacking Naruto, hitting all 64 tenketsus in his body. Naruto's body collapses onto the ground as Genma makes his way over as if to declare the end of the match.

"It's not over yet." I mutter out as I see Naruto struggling to stand. 'Get up Naruto…'

"Are you sure about that? Things don't look too good for him right now." Shika states as his hands grip the railing.

"Naruto's not one to give up. Knowing him, he'll find a way." I state with a smile as I see Naruto standing once again.

Neji questions Naruto's reason for continuing before explaining the reason why he believes fate cannot change: the Hyuuga clan. The clan was separated into two parts: the head family and the branch family. Those of the branch family were considered lower and were meant to dedicate their lives to protecting the secrets of the Byakugan. Everyone in the branch family had a seal placed on them that forced them into submission. It was obvious Neji held hostile emotions towards the Hyuuga clan's head, Hinata's father. I could understand his hatred – seeing as his father was used as a sacrificial lamb, but it seemed as if there was more to the story. Nothing is black and white and it appeared as if the gray parts of this story have been removed. Though his hatred was understandable, it appeared as if it was blinding him from the entire truth – the grays that have yet to be revealed to him.

*crack*

A head-splitting ache envelops my head.

*crack*

"_Kaito-sama. I would like to introduce you to my son, Neji."_

_An image of a man with long black hair and pupil-less white eyes appears with a younger version of Neji. The two of them were smiling happily towards oto-san as he reveals a blue-haired girl hiding behind his legs, me. Her silver eyes were filled with fear as she tightly grasps the blue kimono covering her small form._

"_Riku. I would like you to meet someone."_

_She hesitantly peers from behind her father's leg and locks eyes with the man and boy before her. Fear could be seen upon her eyes, causing the man's eyes to soften in understanding. Still retaining his smile, he slowly approaches the girl with Neji in tow._

"_I am Hyuuga Hizashi. This is my son Neji. I hope you two will become acquainted."_

_Hesitation was clearly seen in her silver orbs, but as she continues to scrutinize the two and deem them as harmless, she allowed a small smile to grace her features. A surprised look appears on oto-san's face as he looks at the exchange._

'I met Neji before… but why hide that?'

*crack*

The image fades only to be replaced with another scene.

"_Is this really necessary Kaito-sama? To erase all her memories?" Hizashi could be seen arguing with oto-san._

"_To be honest, I have no idea. This seal of hers is a different case than what I have seen before. She possesses… to protect from … times are getting difficult Hizashi, you understand this the most."_

"_Will this change… Neji?"_

"_Only if she desires it to."_

'No. Don't fade out. I need to know.'

*crack*

Another wave of pain envelops my mind as I strain to hear to voices, only to have to fade out into nothing.

*crack*

"_I don't want you to forget."_

'Neji… he knew… he knew about the seal…'

*crack*

"_Who are you?"_

"_You really did forget."_

*crack*

'I met Neji before… but my memories of him were sealed… what connection did he have with Sasuke's brother? That's the only reason he would have been blotted out… or was it something else…'

"-iku! Oi, Riku!"

I slightly shake my head to get rid of my thoughts as I see Shika sending me a worried expression. "What's gotten into you? You were gripping your head in pain for the past 5 minutes and you wouldn't respond when I yelled out your name."

"I did?" I mutter out as I glance down at the ring strung around my neck. More cracks were visible on the surface of the gem; it won't be much longer before it fully breaks. Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh before facing Shika once again. "Gomen ne for worrying you. It seems as if I remembered something important. I wonder why I forget it in the first place."

*sigh* "Geez…would it kill you to stop talking in riddles?"

"Maybe~ You're the genius. You should be able to figure it out ne?~" I state with a wink. He merely shakes his head before sending a small smile in my direction as he messes up my hair. "Troublesome."

I send a small pout in his direction before noticing an abnormal shift in chakra coming from Naruto. Snapping my gaze back to the match, I notice swirling red chakra emanating from Naruto.

'So he finally knows how to use it freely. Things are going to get interesting.' I thought before feeling a calming warmth spread from the seal on my neck. It wasn't painful; it was soothing in a sense. I had no answer as to why my seal was reacting so positively to Naruto's chakra; it was strange. Seeing as it didn't cause me any harm, I ignore it as I watch Naruto and Neji exchange devastating blows before a cloud of dust covers their two forms. As the cloud disappears, both their forms are covered by nearby debris. Neji climbs up first and staggers over to Naruto's fallen form. He notices the dirt below him cracking, causing him to look down. At that moment, Naruto erupts from the ground to send a punch to Neji's jaw. Neji's form collapses and is unable to get up.

Naruto slowly approaches Neji's fallen form before stopping in front of him. "I failed three times in the academy finals. Unfortunately, the technique they gave for the final was always the one I hated the most: the replication technique. Stop complaining about fate and saying how it can't be changed. You're different from me; you're not a drop out."

'You've truly grown, Naruto.'

"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto." Genma announces as the crowd cheers.

Naruto runs over to the edge of the stadium as he basks in the cheers of the crowd, blowing kisses and flashing smiles.

"He seriously won? I thought he was in the 'not-so-cool group' like me." Shika states shocked.

"Not-so-cool group?" Shino sends a questioning look in my direction.

"Don't look at me. I have no idea what he's talking about." I answer with a shrug.

"He's getting all those cheers which make him a member of the 'cool group.' Actually, I probably can't beat him. I'm in deep trouble. I feel down." Shika sighs out.

I let out a small laugh. "You never know. You could be in Naruto's place once your match comes around."

"Tch. Either way, I'd have to fight against another woman. How troublesome."

"I find it funny how you keep getting paired up with a girl as an opponent. Must be bad luck on your part ne?"

He merely groans and slumps against the railing.

"Ahh… Shika. I have someone I need to talk to, but I'll be back by the time the next round starts. Don't wait up on me." I state as I send him a wave before walking towards the infirmary.

**{~}**

-Outside Neji's room-

After wandering aimlessly through the hallway for several minutes, I finally find Neji's room. When I reach for the handle, the door swings open to reveal Hinata's father who immediately stiffens when his eyes match mine. Straightening himself, he sends me a curt nod before walking away.

"What are you doing here?"

I snap my gaze from Hiashi's retreating back to Neji, noticing the softened expression on his face.

"Looks like you opened your cage." I state as I enter the room. I wasn't sure what else I was supposed to say him. What does a person say to a friend they forgot? I unconsciously fumble with the ring around my neck as questions flood my mind. 'What do I say? Why isn't he saying anything?'

I was too absorbed in my thoughts to notice him standing directly in front of me.

"You didn't answer the question."

Finally noticing him standing several inches away from me, I awkwardly take a step back only to ram the back of my head against the doorframe.

*smack*

"Ow..." I mutter dully before rubbing the back of my head.

"Still as clumsy as ever…" Neji remarks, but it lacked its usual arrogance. I peek up to see Neji regarding me calmly before allowing a small smile to enter his face.

"Neji…" I start but pause.

"I don't recall you being inept at speaking."

I frown. 'It's still Neji but he's different now…'

I shake my head before regarding him carefully. "You're right; I'm not." I straighten myself as I continue to match his gaze. "I want to confirm something..."

He quirks an eyebrow.

"You know me, don't you? You knew me when we were kids… that's why you know about this seal."

He stares back at me evenly before releasing a sigh. "That's correct."

I tilt my head to the side. "That's all you have to say?" I close my eyes. "No touching reunion, nothing?" I let out a small laugh. "Who am I kidding, this is you I'm talking about." I cross my arms as I lean against the doorframe. "I don't remember everything about you, but whatever obligation you had to my family, ignore it. Throw it away, forget it. I won't weigh you down with some half-assed role my father gave you."

"Nani?"

"You're your own person. You don't need some words from a mad man to tie you down. It's in the past…" I answer before opening my eyes to smile at Neji. "What you do from here on should be through your own volition. I'm sure Naruto knocked some sense into you during your match ne?"

He takes a step forward and makes a move to reach out to me, only to pull back and frown. "You really don't remember, do you?" He asks softly.

I send him an apologetic glance. "Gomen ne… I still haven't been able to recover everything. But arigato for actually getting to know my past self. You really did make me happy…"

Neji gives me a sad smile. "I see." He walks past me to look out the window. "The next match should be starting soon. You better go."

I send him a confused glance, but nevertheless nod in understanding. "Ahh… I suppose so." I straighten myself. "Neji." He doesn't turn around. "Change your fate as you see fit and… take care of Tenten ne?" I finish with a smirk when I see his form slightly stiffen.

'Too easy…'

I make a move to leave, but hear a single phrase that throws me for a loop.

"She no longer needs me as her protector…"

A frown enters my face as I continue down the hallway.

'Protector as in a guardian… that word again… just like the story. What does this mean?'

**{~}**

-At the stands-

"What's that guy doing? Is he planning on not coming?" Shika mutters out as he glances around the stands.

"What's going on?"

Naruto and Shika glance back at me in response.

"Oi Riku where have you been?" Naruto asks, "I thought you disappeared like Sasuke."

I give him a shrug. "Ahh… nowhere really. Just had to visit an old friend." I say with a slight smile. "Anyway, did Sasuke show up yet?"

"No. The crowd is getting restless." Shika replies before glancing down at the arena. "Is he even going to show?"

"A wise man keeps away from danger." Shino adds, "after all, it is a good decision." He glances over to Gaara.

"Ahh… he'll come. His pride wouldn't allow him to run." I add as I lean against the railing. "He must have caught Kaka-sensei's lateness disease."

"Yeah and there's no way the teme would miss this." Naruto states before he sends a look toward Gaara who returns it with equal disdain.

Shika and I look between the two, feeling the temperature dropping a few degrees from their frigid glares.

'Boys. They never make sense.' I let out an exasperated sigh before glancing over at Gaara to see him staring intently at me face, completely ignoring Naruto's glare. Gaara's eyes flash a yellow hue before returning to their regular aquamarine.

I blink before shaking my head. Maybe I just imagined that. 'Yeah… had to be that.'

Turning away from Gaara's stare, I glance back at the arena to see Genma calling back the audience's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, an examinee for the next match has not yet arrived; therefore, this match will be delayed and we will move on to the next one."

Cries of disbelief flood the stadium, but the announcement causes Naruto and I let out a sigh of relief.

"That was close." Naruto mumbles out.

"You could say that again." I reply.

"That was –"

"It's a saying Naruto. You don't have to say it again." I let out a small chuckle.

"Man, does that mean my match is coming up faster?" Shika grips the railing anxiously. I pat him on the shoulder.

"Ahh… looks like it." He slumps his shoulders. "How troublesome."

"Next match up: Kankuro and Aburame Shino." Genma announces.

Shino grips the railing as he makes a move to approach the stadium.

'Looks like he's ready to go.'

I glance over at Kankuro to see him in shock. He scrunches up his face before glancing over nervously to Temari who sends him a slight nod.

'What's it with those two…? It looks like he didn't expect to fight a match. That's weird… you would think a participant would know he has to fight if he makes it to the final rounds of the exam.'

"Examiner! I give up; I forfeit the match!" Kankuro yells out.

I widen my eyes. 'Why did he just give up? It doesn't make any sense… It can't be just nerves right? What happened to that egotistical bastard?'

A frown appears on Genma's face before he announces, "Kankuro has forfeited the match; therefore, Aburame Shino wins by default."

Outcries of anger reverberate through the stands, but they quickly end once Temari's winds cover the stadium. She lands softly on the ground before folding up her fan.

"I'm next right?" She asks before propping her elbow on her fan.

Genma smiles at her. "Looks like you want to do this." He turns to the audience. "Alright, we're going to start the next match. Will Amarante Riku come down?"

I let out a smirk. "Looks like it's my turn." I state before swinging my legs over the railing so that I was sitting on it.

'Temari… you were the one who mocked and made a fool out of Tenten…Even though I don't know her that well, she's still someone I can call a friend. I won't let you off so easily.'

"Do your best out there." Shika states as he pats my back. "Don't lose yourself alright?" He whispers in my ear, causing me to stiffen before releasing a sigh.

'Of course he saw that… he reads me too well.' I let out a small smile. 'Don't make this match too personal… but have fun with it. Not too hard.'

"Don't lose to her Riku; I want to fight you myself in the exam!" Naruto exclaims before he pushes me over the railing.

*tickmark*

"Naruto, you baka…" I mutter out as I feel the wind rushing against me before I land in a crouching position, noticing in amusement the small craters in my wake because of the weighted sandals.

"I didn't think she was that heavy…" I hear Naruto mutter from above before hearing a groan from Shika.

"Baka…" Shika mumbles, causing me to release a small laugh.

'Those two…'

Standing up, I approach Temari who continues to stare at me with a condescending look.

'Ok… screw it. I'm _definitely_ going to have fun messing with your head.'

"Are you two ready?" Genma looks between Temari and I.

Temari sends me a smirk whereas I simply stare at her in response.

"Hai."

"Ahh…"

"Begin!"

**{~}**

**(Third person perspective)**

Riku stares at Temari evenly before taking a seat on the ground – legs crossed, hand propped on a knee, and chin resting calmly on her open palm. Noticing her opponent's lack of response, she tilts her head to the side in confusion.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to attack?" Riku asks calmly, causing a scowl to appear on Temari's face.

*tickmark*

"Are you toying with me? Why are you sitting down?!"

"Does it really matter?" Riku states with a half shrug, "I just want to. Nothing wrong with that."

"You…" Temari's form begins trembling out of anger.

**{~}**

-At the stands-

"What is she doing? Oi Riku, get up and fight!" Naruto exclaims.

A puzzled expression dominates Shikamaru's face. He had never really seen Riku act like this before in a match; she's usually serious and blunt. "What are you planning?" He mutters to himself.

'You wouldn't do this unless…' His eyes widen. 'you're pissed…' He runs a hand down his face. 'This is why I fear women… you can never understand them. Riku's no different… '

**{~}**

-Back to the match-

"If you're not going to attack, then I am!" Temari shouts as she charges towards Riku. Riku makes no acknowledgement and continues to stare at Temari with an unreadable expression. When Temari slams her fan, a cloud of dust covers the area – eliciting gasps from the audience

Before the dust clears, ice shards erupt from the ground. Temari attempts to pull her fan away, but notices it trapped by an ice claw. Gritting her teeth, Temari releases her fan before planting several paper bombs and jumping back several steps to evade the incoming ice pillars. A smirk appears on Riku's face before several paper bombs detonate, once again shrouding her in a layer of dust.

The ice shatters, sending Temari's fan skidding back to its master's side. With a pleased smirk, she picks up the fan before sending a current of wind at the dust, only to find the area empty save for the shattered ice.

"Tch. She's good at running away." Temari mutters before glancing over to the side to see Riku under one of the trees covered in scratches and dust.

"What's wrong? Did that little explosion take that much out of you? How pathetic." Temari places a hand on her hip before propping her elbow on the fan. "You're worse than that other genin I fought. What was her name again?"

Riku doesn't respond, rather she places an ice claw on the bark of the tree whereas her free hand reaches for a scroll.

"Too slow." Temari sends another torrent of wind at Riku only to have it blocked by a wall of ice.

As the wall recedes, Temari is met with a pair of startlingly cold sapphire eyes – causing her to take several steps back in fear.

'Those eyes… they're just like Gaara… he-'

Releasing a sigh, Riku once again places her claw against the tree trunk before facing Temari once again.

'No… it's not him. Get a hold of yourself!' Temari shakes her head as she locks eyes with Riku's normal silver ones. Taking a step forward, Temari sends another onslaught of winds.

A smirk enters Riku's face before another wall of ice appears to deflect the winds before receding into the ground.

'Everything's still in sync.' Not waiting for the winds to calm down, Riku uproots the tree before balancing it on her shoulder. When the winds finally calm down, cries of disbelief fill the stadium. Ignoring the calls, she hurls the tree in Temari's direction who merely sends another current of wind to slice the tree in half. As the pieces fly by Temari, Riku clenches her fist, causing the split wood to explode as the water is forcibly drawn from them. Realizing Riku's intentions, Temari jumps away to avoid the onslaught of water before sending a cyclone to disperse it. Though it manages to halt the attack for a moment, Riku quickly recollects the water before sending it back at Temari once again. Before it makes contact, Riku solidifies it and wraps it around Temari's form. Not wasting a second, Riku moves in to deliver a lighting infused punch to Temari's stomach, twisting her fist as she digs further and further in.

"And you call me a coward for running away…" Riku murmurs when Temari poofs back into a log.

"As if I would let you get close to me!" Temari calls out before sending another torrent of wind at Riku. The same results; the ice wall blocks the incoming winds, but this time Temari runs to the side and delivers another torrent of wind. The two combine before smashing through the ice guard, sending Riku careening into the wall of the stadium.

Not allowing her a chance to recover, Temari sends another torrent of wind, smashing Riku against the wall again. Riku grits her teeth in response before enveloping her entire form in lightning, clouding the area with dust from the explosion that results.

Riku reappears in front of Temari before sending another lightning infused punch. Once the punch comes in contact with the ground, a medium-sized crater forms as tendrils of purple lightning continue to spread out in the surrounding area. At the same time, Riku twists her body to send a kick towards Temari's retreating form – only connecting with the fan, but the force sends Temari hurling toward the stadium wall, cracking it upon impact. Before Riku approaches her, Temari disappears in a cloud of smoke, only to be replaced with a log.

Riku glances up to see the sun's position. "Not much longer now…" Several of her fingers twitch in some rhythm known only to her before she spins on the ball of her foot to see Temari glaring at her with a murderous expression.

"Oh how I missed that look." Riku mocks before holding out her hand in a 'come hither' gesture. "If you really want to kill me like everyone else, then do try harder."

Confusion enters Temari's face for a split second before a smug expression replaces it. "So you really want to die huh." She shifts her fan in her hands before sending another torrent of wind. "That can be arranged!"

Riku merely hops onto an ice pillar before jumping from pillar to pillar to evade the winds.

'I'm glad the weights make sure I don't fly away…' Riku thought before landing several feet behind Temari.

"Maybe you should hold that up higher. You won't reach me if you don't." Riku mocks as she places a hand on one of the ice pillars, making sure Temari could not see her hand. Lightning creeps along the surface of the pillar before streaming down into the cracks filled with discarded water. The lightning follows the webbing of the cracks before connecting to the other pillars.

"Why you-" Temari sends another torrent of wind before another wall of ice appears.

"The same trick won't work twice." Temari charges at the wall of ice before smashing it with her fan. Smirking, she once again raises the fan down in an attempt to decapitate Riku, only to have said girl smirk.

"Game over."

Surprise flashes before Temari's eyes when she feels a jolt travel through her body, freezing her in place. Dusting the stray dirt off herself, Riku stands up calmly before holding an ice claw to Temari's throat.

"I win."

"Nani? How?" Temari questions, still struggling against the seemingly invisible force holding her trapped.

"You know… metal's a great conductor." Riku places her free hand on the metal frame of the fan, causing sparks of purple lightning to crackle against its surface. "You had the key; I just needed to do the set up." Riku glances over to the ice pillars. Matching Riku's gaze, Temari sees the ice pillars forming a perfect circle around the cracked area of the arena.

"There's water under those cracks, pooling together and forming a web connected to all those pillars. It just takes a little spark." Riku snaps her fingers, causing the lightning to crackle in her hand, "for the whole thing to come together. You just ended up making yourself a lightning rod with that metal fan of yours."

"You… you played me." She mutters out. Riku lets out a small laugh.

"Ahh… not exactly. You made the choices as well; I was just able to predict several of your moves beforehand. There were multiple outcomes, but I found this to be the least… permanent." Riku sends her an easygoing smile. "I wouldn't suggest struggling too much. The lightning ended up freezing your nerves. If you try to dispel it with your wind, you're going to fry them. I'm sure you know what happens when lightning and wind mix?"

"Tch. I get it." Temari frowns before continuing, "But how did the water get underground? I didn't see you use a scroll and the amount of water in your gourd couldn't have been enough."

"Who ever said I needed a scroll?" Riku tilts her head to the side. "The water was already there. I just needed to create an opening for it."

"You used the tree." Temari states as she widens her eyes.

"Ahh... pretty much." Riku shrugs before glancing over at Temari. "I should really thank you…" She trails off as Genma announces her as the winner of the match.

Cheers erupt from the stands, but Riku ignores them as she releases Temari from her paralysis.

"Thank me? What for?" Temari stretches, getting the feeling back in her limbs.

"I guess for taking me seriously…" Riku trails off before allowing a smirk to enter her face. "And for giving me the chance to blow off some steam. We really should do this again sometime."

Temari gives her a skeptical look before shaking her head. "I don't understand you."

This causes Riku to let out a laugh. "I don't think many people do… besides, people always fear what they don't understand. You know this, don't you?"

Temari freezes before eyeing Riku cautiously.

"I'll take that as your answer." Riku mutters before walking back to the stands.

**{~}**

**(First person perspective)**

'_**Don't let your feelings for that boy cloud your judgment. He won't hold back for you and you should do the same.'**_

I let out a sigh as I walk up the stairs. 'I know. As a friend, I will give him everything I have to beat him.'

'_***sigh* You still haven't figured it out… but be careful out there… the snake is slowly making his move.'**_

'Can't you give me a better warning?'

'…'

'Minori? Oi I know you can hear me!'

'…'

'Damn… she always leaves me hanging…' I thought as I twirl several strands of my hair. "Time is definitely running out, but I don't know what I'm even supposed to be looking for."

**{~}**

-Scene change: Stands-

When I enter the stands, Naruto wraps his arm around my shoulders as he congratulates me on my match against Temari. I nod at several intervals to make it seem as if I was listening, but I can't help the sense of foreboding settling into my chest.

'Something just doesn't feel right…exactly what is going on?'

"-iku! Oi Riku!"

I blink, seeing a hand in front of my face before shaking my head. "Nani?" I ask, noticing Shika sending me a calculating look.

"What's the matter? You've been spacing out a lot today." He asks.

"To be honest, I have no idea." I sigh before looking up at the sky, "I just feel like something not right, you know?"

"Come on Riku, it's probably nothing. You're just worried about Sasuke right?" Naruto reasons.

"Ahh… I suppose so." I state with a slight smile. "He's still not here is he?"

Naruto's face slightly falls. "Not yet."

"At this rate, he might be disqualified unless we can stall for him." Shika comments as he leans over the railing.

"Well." I start as I place a hand on his shoulder. "Let the stalling begin."

He arches an eyebrow at me. "Eh?"

"Don't wait on me Shika." I state with a smile before I push him over the railing. His arms haphazardly flail as he tries to save himself from falling, but with another shove from Naruto he starts falling toward the ground.

"Great work." I hold my hand out to him, earning a high five.

"Don't mention it." He sends me a grin before looking at me in slight concern. "You sure you can hang on long enough for Sasuke-teme to show up?"

I place a finger on the side of my face before finally answering with a shrug.

"Ahh… why not. Might be fun. Haven't been able to beat Shika in a shogi match before so now might be a good chance."

"Shogi?" Naruto deadpans. "What does that have to do with anything?" He scratches the back of his head in confusion.

I take out several soldier pills before popping them in my mouth.

*crunch*crunch*crunch*

"Just everything. *crunch* Watch ne?"

*Thump*

'Looks like Shika has finally landed.'

"That's my cue. See you two later." I state with a wink before hopping over the railing.

"Oi!" Naruto calls out to me and leans against the railing, but I merely send him a two-finger salute. Shino on the other hand, merely looks on with an impassive look on his face, er with from what I can tell with his sunglasses on. Before I land, I glance down to see Shika holding out his arms as if waiting to catch me. He does before groaning.

"How much do you weigh…" He groans before lowering me to the ground. I let out a laugh.

"Who knows. A lot more than Chouji I think…" I trail off, earning myself a deadpan look.

"You and your weights…" He sighs out. "Let's get this over with…"

We both head over to Genma.

"What are you two doing here? Your match is after Sasuke's." Genma questions as he notices us approaching.

"Stalling." We answer together, causing him to quirk an eyebrow.

"So that's how it's going to go eh?" He fumbles with the senbon in his mouth before glancing at us again. "You just finished your match Riku. If you do this, you're giving your opponent an advantage. Are you sure about this? Why not let Sasuke get disqualified?"

"In real situations there will always be advantages and disadvantages. If I can't overcome the disadvantages, then why am I a ninja in the first place? Besides, Sasuke deserves a chance to compete as much as any one of us and I won't let you take that away from him. So sit back and enjoy the show ne?" I state with a smirk.

"Well said." He answers with a smile before facing Shika. "Do you agree to these terms Shikamaru?"

Shika lets out a sigh. "Not like I can change her mind." He answers with a shrug.

"Alright, the next match will be between Amarante Riku and Nara Shikamaru." Genma announces to the audience. Confused murmurs fill the crowd, but we both ignore it and stand in front of each other as Genma explains the rules once again.

"Are you ready Shika?"

*sigh* "This is troublesome."

I let out a small laugh. "I suppose… but we need to drag this out as long as we can so Sasuke can show up." I state as I glance up at the clouds, "Hey Shika?"

"What is it?"

"I.. " I trail off as I bite my bottom lip. Should I tell him? No. I don't want him involved. "It's nothing."

"Riku…"

Before he could say anything, Genma starts the match. I was saved by the compulsive-senbon-chewing Chunin.

**{~}**

**(Third person perspective)**

Shikamaru makes no acknowledgement of Genma's announcement and stares blankly at Riku who does the same. It appears as if a silent exchange passed between the two, but the audience becomes restless as the participants were doing nothing but staring at each other.

"Get on with it!"

"I didn't miss work to watch a staring contest!"

"Ahh… the crowd's getting restless. So are you going to make the first move or shall I?" Riku asks with a pleasant smile.

"Ladies first." He states with a shrug. "I don't care about becoming a Chunin… but a man can't lose to a woman." He finishes with a smirk.

She smiles in response. "And as a former man, my pride won't allow me to lose." She mocks, "So let the best man win."

With that, she disappears from sight before reappearing several feet in front of Shikamaru to deliver a lightning infused punch toward the ground. Eyes wide, he jumps back before taking shelter behind one of the trees. Trying to catch him off balance, she twists her body before sending a kick to the ground. The ground immediately crumbles and cracks before tendrils of purple lightning spread out and further crack the area – leaving only the shadowed portion of the arena untouched.

Gasps escape the audience at the feat, causing them to lean further out of their seats.

As the dust settles, a shadow charges at Riku, causing her to jump away. Uncapping her gourd, she creates a pillar of ice to push herself further away from the shadow's range. The shadow stalls for a moment before taking in the shadows from the crack and crevices to continue its path.

'He's using the shadows from the crevices to increase his range... geez, how careless can I get?'

Releasing an annoyed huff, Riku grabs one of her scrolls before biting her thumb and running her blood along the printed characters. Just before the shadow connects, Riku tosses the scroll into the shadow's range as a torrent of water gushes out – hiding Riku from Shikamaru's sight. Furrowing his eyebrows, Shikamaru recalls the shadow as he examines the gushing water quickly filling the arena. Not long after, the water calms, though it had already filled the arena with knee-deep water.

Keeping the shadows in mind, Riku freezes the crevices before glancing over at Shikamaru with a smile.

"You almost had me there." She calls out to him before freezing his legs to the ground as well as the rest of the sloshing water – creating something akin to a frozen wasteland.

"Tch. Troublesome woman." Shikamaru mutters.

'Looks like she's catching on. I can't use the water's shadow anymore.' He glances over at her face to see an easy-going smile. 'This girl… haven't seen her this happy in a while. Better make this a match she'll remember.'

Releasing a sigh, he calls out his shadow, using it to shatter the ice before it makes it way over to Riku once more.

She tilts her head to the side before taking three steps back and sending a kunai hurdling straight at Shikamaru, only to have him tilt his head to allow the kunai to embed into the wall behind him. The shadow stops several inches in front of her before retracting.

'So that's its range right now. We have to keep stalling, so the longer we draw this out, the longer its range will be. Knowing her, she can just use her lightning to escape the shadow when she needs to, but there's her condition to factor in as well… *sigh* she really is a troublesome woman.' He releases another sigh. 'Looks like this won't be easy. What a drag.'

Riku releases a sigh before glancing around to find any signs of Sasuke. No such luck.

'Looks like we have to keep at it.' She shifts her gaze back to Shikamaru. 'Shika always thinks of every possibility so only so much can surprise him… something to surprise him… what would that be?'

"I believe it's your move Shika."

He matches her gaze before closing his eyes as he squats down and forms a circular cage with his fingers. Riku closes her eyes as well, running several scenarios through her head.

'What can surprise her/him?' They both thought.

-At the stands with Asuma and Kurenai-

"So that's it." Asuma states as he crosses his arms.

"That's what?" Kurenai asks confused.

"This match is nothing but a game to those two."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… when I first met Riku, I found it odd how Shikamaru was actually making an effort to talk and interact with her, since he rarely shows _any_ interest or effort in anything." Asuma state with a shrug, "So I asked Chouji about them and he told me how Shikamaru might have some feelings for her. Apparently those two are fairly close, always playing shogi with each other or watching the clouds." He shakes his head. "Makes sense she would be a strategist as well, seeing as she's able to counter Shikamaru's moves up till now. They're both treating this like a game, matching each other's attacks while finding a weakness the other has yet to notice."

"But if they know each other's moves, doesn't that mean the match will be over soon?" Kurenai continues.

"That would be what should happen, but since those two know each other _too_ well, their moves keep canceling each other out, causing this stalemate." Asuma answers with a grin, "Also, it seems as if they're trying to drag on this match for as long as they can, probably to make time for Sasuke to get here. Even so, I haven't seen Shikamaru try this hard before; it's exciting."

"Hmm," Kurenai narrows her eyes at the layout of the arena. The entire arena had been transformed into a frozen wasteland, but the trees had yet to be touched. That was odd. Why didn't she eliminate the trees? She's fully capable of such a feat and that would eliminate Shikamaru's cover.

"Asuma… why did she leave Shikamaru's portion of the arena untouched? I know she froze his terrain as well, but wouldn't it make sense to destroy the trees? After all, that's all Shikamaru has for cover."

"I'm questioning that myself. She doesn't strike me as the arrogant type, so it's not because she believes she would still win even if she gives Shikamaru an advantage. Well…her actions don't always make sense according to Kakashi, so I can't really say I know what she's planning." Asuma trails off as he notices Shikamaru lowering his hands. "He's finished thinking."

-Back to the match-

'I got it.' Both combatants snap their eyes open.

"Looks like you're ready to make you move Shika." Riku mutters as she forms her ice claws.

"I can't keep a woman waiting, now can I?" He answers with a smirk, causing a smile to appear on Riku's face as she shakes her head.

"Who knew you could be a ladies man." Riku comments with a laugh. "Can't say I didn't expect you to become a player Mr. Genius."

"Hey, I resent that." Shikamaru states in mock anger before a smile once again enters his face. "Guess this is enough stalling huh?"

She casts a side glance to the stands to see Kakashi and Sasuke watching in the shadows. 'Those two… looks like they finally made it.'

A smile enters her face. "Ahh… Let the real game begin." Riku said before lowering her claws to reveal the Bikoume.

Once the words leave her lips, Shikamaru sends several kunai hurdling towards Riku, only to have her tilt her head slightly to avoid the projectiles. Surprise enters her face when she feels a slight sting on her face.

'A cut… wait, crap!'

Riku jumps back several feet as she sends several ice spikes towards Shikamaru who rolls out of the way into the cover of the trees. Holding out her claw towards the trees, she clenches her hand, causing the water from the trees to implode out before forming an ice cage. When the dust settles, Shikamaru is nowhere in sight.

'He's gotten faster…' She glances at the kunai embedded into the wall. 'So there wasn't a trick to them? That can't be right…'

She snaps out of her thoughts when the cage's shadow charges at her. Gritting her teeth, she jumps several feet back before the shadow stalls.

'The range has gotten longer… it's his advantage if the match drags on.'

Knowing his tendency for hidden traps, Riku closes her eyes – searching any disruptions in the water particles before snapping her eyes open and jumping back. Shikamaru lets out a small smile as he watches Riku evade the shadow.

'Guess the parachute's a bust…' He thought as he sends a quick glance up at the make-shift parachute floating in the air. The parachute, his jacket attached to several kunai, lands on the ground – stopping his shadow's pursuit. 'I have to admit… she's gotten better, but I'm not done yet.' He pulls out several more kunai before ducking behind the ice cage. 'Let's see if this works...'

Riku waits patiently before suddenly twisting on the balls of her feet to dodge the kunai hurdling towards her.

'Why do all of these have ice on them?'

Before she could ponder more on the thought, another shadow makes it way over to her, resulting in her jumping several feet back before several pillars of ice erupt from the ground in an attempt to stall the shadow. It works for a moment before the shadow uses the shadow of the pillars to increase its range.

The shadow quickly closes in, causing Riku to let out a sigh.

'Looks like I'll have to lose it… Gomen ne oto-san.' Her right claw melts away into an ice kunai. Gripping the kunai, she uses her left claw to snap the hair ties before gripping the tangled locks and cutting it to about shoulder length. Surprise flashes through Shikamaru's eyes before he shakes his head.

'How troublesome…'

The shadow once again stalls before charging once again at Riku. Eyes wide, she jumps away before a sharp pain enters her eyes as a scene flashes before her.

'Not now…'

Gritting her teeth in pain, Riku forms an ice clone that jumps into the shadow's path only to have it constricted by wires.

'Wires? When… wait, those kunai.'

Taking advantage of her distraction, he wraps the shadow around the ice clone to trap Riku.

"Finally caught you." Shikamaru mutters with a smile before approaching Riku. In response, Riku does the same but not before chipping away her ice clone to turn it into a pole. Shikamaru sends her a wary glance but nevertheless continues to approach her. Their footsteps fall in rhythm with each other before Riku stops before the pole.

"Checkmate." Riku and Shikamaru state at the same time, earning confused looks from the onlookers.

Panting slightly from the pain in her eyes, Riku closes her eyes as purple lightning envelops her entire form – eliminating the connection formed between Shikamaru's and Riku's shadow. Riku places her hands on the ice pole as it sends streams of lightning to the other pillars, effectively trapping Shikamaru in a lightning cage of sorts.

The shadow around Riku grows as it claims the added shadows the lightning produced.

Riku sends Shikamaru a pained smile before she feels a kunai pressed against her back. Eyes wide, she glances back before a small laugh escapes her.

"I really should have seen that coming huh?" She shakes her head. "Looks like you figured out the blind spot for the Bikoume…" Shikamaru lets out a sigh.

"You really know how to make a guy work, geez." He murmurs before repositioning the kunai against her throat. He leans against her back – noticing her rerouting the lightning away from him – before resting his chin on her shoulder. "You should stop before you lose it… I found your medicine." He lets out a sigh. "I know you didn't take it… One of the few times I'm glad you're so stubborn, Riku."

She lets out a small laugh. "I appreciate the compliment Shika. But…"

She trails off before his clone disappears in a cloud of smoke. "As you've said… it's time to quit stalling and finish the match."

Another ice clone stands behind him with her arm outstretched, explaining the reason of his disappearing clone.

*sigh* He glances back at the ice clone in exasperation. "Yeah…I'm done." He answers before allowing the kunai to clatter onto the ground. "I forfeit the match." He announces before holding both hands up in the air.

Cries of disbelief resound throughout the stadium, but he ignores it as he leans against Riku's back with a sigh.

"The things I do for you…" He murmurs into her neck before draping his arms around her shoulders to hold himself up.

Riku lets out a small laugh before calling off her lightning and reverting the ice back to water.

Genma stares at the two before letting out a frustrated groan. "Winner: Amarante Riku." He announces before casting a questioning look to Shikamaru who ignores it and leans further against Riku.

"You really know how to make a girl work, Shika. Never thought your cowardice would be useful." She jokes before poking him in the cheek, only to have him send a lazy glare.

"Oi... quit poking me."

"Nah, too fun."

He sends a glare, debating on whether or not to get back at the girl before letting out a sigh. "Too troublesome…" He mumbles before nuzzling against Riku's neck, causing her face to immediately redden.

"Your hair isn't too bad now…" He adds, fingering some of the stray strands. "It was too long before… it's nice."

A blush settles on her face, causing her to look away in embarrassment.

'Why does it feel warm all of a sudden…?'

Before she can voice her discomfort, Naruto comes barreling in before demanding the reason why Shikamaru forfeited the match.

Shikamaru releases a sigh, causing Riku to tense up but neither boy notices. "I used up too much chakra using the shadow imitation technique too many times." He answers calmly, not sparing Naruto a glance. "I've thought up 200 possible outcomes, but time's up. It's too troublesome to do anymore. One match is good enough for me." He lets out another sigh. "Besides, the only reason the match lasted as long as it did was to stall for Sasuke."

"Baka!" Naruto exclaims before shoving Shikamaru off of Riku, causing Shikamaru to land on the ground in a heap.

"Shut up you super baka." Shikamaru states as he rubs the back of his head. He sits up. "It's a matter of the past; it's all good now."

"No it's not! I- eh? Where's Riku?" Naruto stops his rant to look around, not finding any sign of his blue-haired friend. The statement causes Shikamaru to stiffen before he stands up.

"Troublesome woman." Shikamaru mutters out before dragging Naruto by the scruff of his jacket to look for said girl, ignoring the cries of protest from the blonde behind him.

**{~}**

-With Riku-

**(First person perspective)**

'_**You were so close to succumbing to me… if only that boy held that stalemate a little longer, you would have been forced into using my chakra.'**_Minori purrs sweetly in my mind.

'Ah… but I didn't, now did I? Looks like I win the bet.' I answer with a slightly pained smile as I make my way through the hallway before pausing for several moments to lean against the wall.

'_**To an extent.' **_She replies indigently before releasing a sigh, _**"But a deal's a deal. I will allow you to access my chakra when the situation calls for it, but I advise you against it until that damn seal on your neck disappears. Your body might not be able to handle to extra strain…after all, the Bikoume is starting to change form.'**_

'Really? I never noticed.' I snip back, gripping my eyes in pain. 'Why does everything involving the clan lead back to pain in some way, shape, or form? Must be my luck…'

'_**Being sarcastic isn't going to get rid of the pain. But you do have terrible luck…'**_

'Thank you Captain Obvious.' I reply before lowering my hand. 'At least it's stopped for now. But I don't understand those images. They're important to what's about to happen, aren't they?'

'_**Maybe…maybe not.'**_

'Can't you be a _bit_ more helpful?'

'_**I can, but where would the fun be?'**_

*sigh*

'As long as it doesn't kill me, you find it entertaining don't you?'

'_**Exactly. Keep your eyes open dear. The snake is within striking range.'**_

'What snake are you talking about? I know you know! Is it Orochimaru?'

'…'

'Damn… she left. But I'll take that silence as a yes. What is that snake planning? If Orochimaru is planning something, I can't do this alone… But maybe nothing's going to happen... maybe I'm just overthinking this. Ahh…I need to calm down or I won't be able to think rationally.'

Releasing another sigh, I continue walking through the hallway as I run a hand through my newly cut hair. 'I better even it out.' I thought as I made my way to the restroom to even out my hair with the help of a shadow clone. Glancing at the mirror, I notice it barely touching my shoulders.

_Your hair isn't too bad now. It was too long before… it's nice. _

'Shika…' My face reddens slightly before I cover my face in my hands. 'What's going on with me… ugh, damn hormones. Just leave me alone!' Shaking my head of the thoughts, I leave the restroom to hear the crowd's cheers echo in the hallways.

"He must have made a big entrance."

I mutter in amusement as I climb up the stairs. As I walk through the hallway, I notice Gaara slowly approaching. When his gaze matches mine, his eyes flash an eerie yellow before I feel myself slammed against the wall. Releasing a small gasp in surprise, I glance up to see a feral grin stretch across his face as the yellow hue in his eyes continues to take over.

"…Gaara?" I trail out hesitantly before my breath hitches when I feel his hand trail down my face before stopping on my neck, just above the seal.

'What's he doing?' '

As the thought crosses my mind, I remember the words he spoke the day before.

_I will claim what is mine._

My eyes widen. 'He wouldn't… would he?'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So I'm going to leave the chapter at that. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you have any comments or want any clarifications, then feel free to leave a review or PM me. Please leave a review about the pairings as well and what we have so far is below. Until next time.<strong>

**Ja ne~**

Riku x Naruto (2)

Sasuke x Riku x Itachi (1)

Sasuke x Riku (1)

Gaara x Riku (2)

Shikamaru x Riku x Naruto/Sasuke (1)

Gaara x Riku x Shikamaru (1)

Gaara x Riku x Sasuke (1)

Sasuke x Riku x Naruto (4)

Neji x Riku (3)

Shikamaru x Riku (2)

Itachi x Riku (2)

* * *

><p>Parallel story (?):<p>

Deidera x Riku x Sasori (1)

Itachi x Riku (2)

Pein x Riku (1)

Hidan x Riku (1)

**{~}**

**Some of the pairing suggestions overall, so I'll try to write scenes that encompass the characters mentioned, but eventually Riku's going to have to choose in the end, which looks very complicated for her at this point. (^.^;)**

**{~}**

_New note: I added and changed around the scenes and dialogue to try to fit the characters more and I'm not sure how I did so I would appreciate the input. I added in a scene where Anko shows a more motherly or sisterly side to Riku as suggested and I hope that worked out. I took into account the pairings and added some scenes in accordance, so check those out and let me know how I did. I remember one of my old reviews said that I just make Riku look good and not give her any faults? … I think I have a problem with that so any suggestions on how to fix that? Thanks again for reading and for taking the time to help. (^.^)_

_I'll update the votes on the pairings when I get to chapter 21. :D _


	19. Chapter 19: Konoha's Darkest Hour

-Chapter 19: Konoha's Darkest Hour-

**AN: I know it's been a while since I last updated, but I basically had writer's block. Some of the scenes are slow, so you'll have to bear with it. I like how it turned out overall. There are parts that need to be a bit more developed, but I think I'll save that for the next chapter. The chapters following this are going to break away from the series a bit, since Riku has changed some events. Tsunade is going to be a little different, but she'll still have her core characteristics and beliefs. So that's basically what I have to say. I want to thank the people who have been reading this story and have been giving me input. It gives me a reality check about my story and how to improve it.**

**Special thanks to c00kiez, Meech Macko, Animelover1754, Akatusukifreak, anon, lostfeather1, Asuka, and Thunder of Life for reviewing the last chapter.**

**c00kiez : ****Thanks for the input. I'll keep that in mind.**

**Meech Macko:**** I've done the test for a mary-sue and Riku was borderline one, but that was for her abilities. But since her abilities are basically a double-edged sword, it works out. As for her going gaga over almost everyone, she doesn't throw herself at the other characters like in other stories I have seen. (:/) She's a teenage girl who's lacked in the birds and the bees talk; she just makes comments based on what she's heard or seen from Anko and Kakashi. But I guess I've been trying to make the other pairings possible by creating scenes with the pairings I've listed at the end of each chapter. I'll probably have to be careful about that in the future. Still, I think many can agree that there are girls in the real world who can like multiple guys at a time. I know some guys that like multiple girls at once. Anyway, I'll try to tone down on that, so thanks for the input.**

**Animelover1754: ****I'm glad you enjoy the story. I always have fun thinking of different plot twists and how different events can carry over into the future events. The story gets slightly more complicated in this chapter, but it helps lead into the next chapter where Itachi comes in. ( :3)**

**Akatusukifreak:**** Thanks for the input on the pairings. I think the parallel one with Hidan and Riku could work out. I think it might end up as a comic relief thing for the rest of the members.**

**anon: ****Thanks for pointing that out. I added a bit more in the last chapter to hopefully make Naruto's character more understandable. As for why Naruto's gunning for Sakura, I played upon the belief that some guys want girls they can't have. Naruto had Riku by his side for most of his life and although he knows Riku would do anything for him (and is a girl), he still sees her as a guy. He still sees Riku as his big brother in a sense, but in this chapter, he breaks away from that mindset and starts thinking that Riku is, in fact, a girl and needs to be taken care of at times. In this chapter, it is revealed that Naruto had in fact noticed the signs – signs of Riku's insecurities and doubts – disproving the belief that he is an oblivious guy. So now that leaves the question as to why he chose to ignore it. Again, Naruto's a pretty smart guy, but like all guys, he runs on impulses. My reasoning was that he didn't want to accept that fact that he was the one that was hurting his friend. He kept trying to play the oblivious card. Keep in mind that they're pretty young. On top of being kids and ninja, they had never really been taught the social graces of society. Riku would barely talk and would be apathetic or sarcastic during most of her childhood. That didn't really give Naruto much to work with, but he did notice a vulnerable side of her when she lost control when they were younger. Since that incident, Riku had placed a thin wall between her and Naruto because she was afraid of hurting him, but now that they've gotten closer and her walls have started to come down, Naruto's been noticing signs of her emotional pains. Due to that, he starts second-guessing himself, wondering if he had failed to notice her pain when he was always there with her. He didn't want to believe it, so he denied it and guns for Sakura. The reason as to why is unclear in the anime, but in my story, I think he did because he saw Sakura as pretty and noticed how alone she used to be. As for why she didn't help Naruto, she did, but there were times where he felt the need to do pranks instead so people could notice him. At that point in time, Riku was still training with Ibiki and Anko so that she could control her emotions to make sure she wouldn't lose control anymore. She did help Naruto with target practice, but he lacked the patience to work on jutsus. Things between them are going to be changing soon. Now, onto Tsunade… Tsunade cares for Riku as a daughter of one of her students and friends. She was trapped in the perception that she was training Hikari (Riku's mother), so that was why she accepted her at first. Then that perception changed once she noticed the differences. She accepts Riku as she is because Riku proved her strength – both physical and mental –to Tsunade. Looking at Naruto, Tsunade doesn't see any redeeming qualities in Naruto. He hasn't proved himself to Tsunade, so she doesn't accept him at first. She just saw him as an annoying genin. Hopefully that clears some stuff up and sorry if that was a long reply. (^.^;)**

**lostfeather1: ****I like how enthusiastic your review was. (^.^) Sorry to disappoint, but really big happens in this chapter, but something does happen to Riku that's going to cause a lot of trouble in the next chapter with Itachi. Thanks for the input about the pairings. I think you'll see that in the next chapter. As for what will happen when Sasuke leaves, there are a lot of possibilities. I'll leave it at that until we get closer to that in the story. Thanks for reviewing again.**

**Asuka:**** Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you like the story so far and thanks for the pairing ideas. Hopefully this chapter makes up for the long delay. As for Riku joining the Akatsuki, that would be interesting, but I think she would pick a different course of action that is still somewhat linked with the Akatsuki.**

**Thunder of Life:**** Thanks for reviewing again. (^.^) I'm glad you like the battle scenes. They're difficult to make interesting, but I do my best. I'm happy you really like this story. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter. (^.^)**

**{~}**

**Mini note:**** If anyone has any ideas they want to see or any specific relationship scenes, then feel free to message me or leave a review and I'll try to add it into the story.**

_*Altered chapter (See Announcement 3)_

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><p><strong>Other notes:<strong>

**"Speaking out loud"**

**'Riku's thoughts'**

**'**_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_**flashbacks**_

**'**_**flashback conversations' mainly for Ibiki's advice**_

***sound effects***

***sound effects***

**(-.-); or (-.-;) = Riku sweat dropping**

**(= -.- =) = Naruto's expressions**

***Other characters might have little emotion icons like the ones listed above.**

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

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><p>'<em>There are moments in life where you feel like you've reached a dead end, like there are no more doors to open, no more things to do. You're simply lost. But what I've come to learn is to say 'screw it' and blast a hole in the wall and keep going. You never know what will turn up when you do.'<em>

_~Riku Amarante_

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><p><strong>(First person perspective)<strong>

Gaara doesn't respond, merely stroking the seal on my neck in an almost loving manner.

'What's with him? It looks like he's in some kind of trance…' I thought as I try to inch away from his touch, only to have him slam his free hand next to my head – trapping me between him and the wall.

A growl rips past his lips before he leans forward so that they rest beside my ear.

"Come out, Kouryuu." He lets out a throaty chuckle. "Come out and fight me like those years ago." He trails his hand further down my neck before resting it on my collarbone. "Make me feel alive."

'Who?'

*stab*

I widen my eyes in surprise, feeling a trickle of blood running down my skin. His fingers dig further in before he pulls them across the skin – cutting away at the skin to form a symbol of some sort – flooding my nerves with jolts of pain.

_*crack*_

"_**You… how dare you…" **_

I flinch, feeling Minori fight against the restraints holding her down.

_*clank*clink*clank*_

"_**How dare you mark me…You!" **_

_*bang*clack*_

The seal burns against my skin, causing me to clench my teeth in pain. A throaty chuckle rumbles in his chest as he lifts his head to match my gaze.

"You're still trapped aren't you?" He licks away the blood coating his fingers before a cruel smile enters his face. "Pathetic."

Once the words leave his lips, he slams my wrists above my head before lifting my chin with his free hand. "You're still weak. You always denied what you were… your strength… unless cornered this is." He finishes with a cruel smirk.

_*clang*clink*bang*_

'_**Let me out!" **_She growls, filling my mind with the sounds of rattling chains and crunching metal.

"You're mine now, Kouryuu." He laughs. "I'll always find you… you can't escape again."

An enraged roar fills my mind.

"_**Die!" **_

_*crack*_

'Stop it!' I let out strained pants. 'I don't care what you had with his demon. I'm in control and I won't let you run rampant.'

'_**I refuse to be humiliated by him!'**_

'Looks like we both have something we don't want. You don't want to be humiliated. I don't want to maul him.'

'_**Tch. Like you even could…' **_

'Shut up and suck it up.'

_***growl* 'For now… but I will smash his face in. The seal is weakening after all…'**_

With that, her voice disappears, leaving me alone to my own thoughts. 'Minori… he called you Kouryuu. Is that your true name?' The seal calms down, leaving me gasping for breath.

'How annoying…' I slump more against the wall, finding it more difficult to stand on my legs. 'This seal really keeps my chained… just like an animal… it's sad.'

Releasing a shaky breath, I glance up at Gaara to see the yellow hue in his eyes disappearing as a pained expression enters his face.

"Not now… don't…" He pants before loosening his hold on my wrists. He clenches his teeth before clutching his head with his free hand. "I'm… in control… She's mine."

I shift my position to allow the wall to support more of my weight.

'He's fighting for control. He really is just like us…'

"Gaara?" I call out.

He doesn't respond. I can only hear his labored breathing as his shoulders continue to tremble from some internal strain. After several linger seconds, the trembling stops and his hand lowers to his side. Slowly, he brings his head up to stare at me with his normal aquamarine eyes.

With a neutral expression, he takes in my fatigued expression and takes a step closer.

"You still don't run away." He closes the distance again. "Why?"

Closer.

"Is it because you know I will kill you if you do?" He clenches my wrists. "Do you fear me?" He applies more pressure. "Do you see me as a monster?"

I wince from the pain but match his gaze. "No… I'm not afraid of you. After all, you're the same as me. You know pain, loneliness, hate… If you're a monster," I smile sadly. "Then I guess I am too."

He continues to match my gaze before softening his grip on my wrists. "You have the same eyes. The cracks are still there. Your existence… your hatred… your love…" He lowers his hand to his side. "Which side – which existence – will win I wonder."

I send him a confused glance. "Gaara…"

I try, but the sound of footsteps stop me. We both turn to the stairwell entrance to see two grass ninja casually making their way over to us with smirks spread wide across their faces.

'Their eyes… I don't like them.'

Smirking, the two ninjas block the hallway. The one wearing bandana leans casually against the wall whereas the other stands before us with a casual stance.

"You know…" The one with the bandana begins, "low key exams like the Chunin exams are great for betting, especially for the feudal lords," he glances down at Gaara with a fake smile, "So can you lose the match?"

Gaara doesn't respond, rather he merely closes his eyes as if he were ignoring the ninja's presence all together.

"Hey now, at least say something." The ninja in the bandana orders with a slight frown. Still not getting any response, he switches his gaze back to me. His eyes widen for a moment before a smirk enters his face. "Well, if it isn't the Amarante girl. Who knew you'd be with this kid."

'That look…" I clench my hands. 'I hate it…'

*squeak*

I cast a side glance at Gaara to see the cork on his gourd slowly uncapping itself.

'What's he doing?'

"Your face… you really do look like her…"

I snap my gaze back to the grass ninja to see him smiling down with me.

"Amarante Hikari… you're almost an exact replica." His eyes trail down face. "How interesting…" He breaks off as he makes a move to grab me.

Before the ninja could touch me, Gaara grabs my wrist and shoves me behind him – using his body to block me from view.

A frustrated expression enters the grass ninja's face as he retracts his hand. "What's this?" His expression morphs into a cruel smirk. "Finally ready to say something?"

"Enough." The other ninja with the shades orders. He gives us a quick glance before facing his partner once again. "We don't have time for you to play mind games. Just take her so we can get paid. I'll deal with the kid."

Once the words leave the ninja's lips, the sand from Gaara's gourd rushes out – circling around us like a predator poised to strike its prey. He releases my wrist before staggering forward. I try to take a step back, only to have the sand push me closer to Gaara – telling me to stay put.

Surprised, the two ninja take a step back before each taking out a kunai.

*crack*shatter*

The hallway lights shatter, surrounding us in darkness.

I glance up to see the ninjas wearing disturbed expressions as their limbs begin to tremble without their consent.

"What…" One of them takes a step back. "is he?!"

The sand rushes at them.

"AHHH!"

The sand consumes one of the men, encasing all his limbs as he helplessly claws against the sand for freedom.

'They don't deserve this… I-'

'_**You'll do what? Help them? Don't lie to yourself. You enjoy this. You've done this before, haven't you?'**_

"AGHHAAHHH!"

'Finally back I see…' I clench my hands. 'It's in the past… I'm not like that anymore.'

'_**Is that so?' **_Minori chuckles. _**'Don't you miss it? The rush from killing those below you? To give others a taste of the same suffering you endured? It's only fair, isn't it? Those are your thoughts right?' **_

I unclench my hands. 'And your point?'

'_**You like this… you want to kill them yourself. You want them to feel your pain… just like all the others who gave you that same look.'**_

'You're absolutely right.' I smirk. 'I want others to suffer the same torment as myself, but I'd rather just suffer on my own.'

'_**How twisted.'**_

'You would know, Kouryuu.' I feel her still in my mind. 'You just keep on suffering… just like me. So you understand, don't you?'

_***growl* 'That is none of your concern! Do what you want… I suppose you're beginning to stand your own ground little one.'**_

Another scream echoes throughout the hallway. Snapping my gaze up, I see Gaara clench his hand, ordering the sand to squeeze the life out of the ninja wearing the headband. Not long after the screams die out. Nothing was left of him. No remains, remained. The sand winds up once again, curling around the other ninja who stares back in shock.

_You'll do what? Help them? Don't lie to yourself. You enjoy this. You've done this before, haven't you?_

I let out a smile. 'I have. That's why I want to stop him from drowning his life in more useless blood.'

Closing my eyes, I try to gather some of my lightning in an attempt to break free, but before I can gather enough, a head-splitting pain envelopes my eyes – causing the lightning to immediately disperse.

"Gah." I gasp, clenching my eyes in pain. 'No good… the Bikoume's reacting…'

The pain continues, enveloping my eyes in a searing pain that continue to intensify before suddenly dying out. Panting, I crack open my eyes to see two blurred forms.

"Gaara. Stop it."

He ignores my words. When my vision clears up, I see sand wrapping around the ninja running away before it encases him like the first. Gaara holds out his hand before clenching it, crushing the ninja's body and immediately silencing his bloodcurdling screams. Panting he slowly turns to face me – an animalistic grin etched upon his face.

"M-mine." He growls out before closing the distance. The wound on my collarbone stings. "I won't let you go…"

I widen my eyes before letting out a shaky breath. All I can do at this point is let whatever will happen, happen. Was I giving up? Yes. Did I have a choice? Yes. Could I fight back? Yes. But did I want to take the risk – the risk of losing control, the risk of hurting him and anyone else in the building, the risk of doing something I would forever regret? No. I hate to say it, but I'm indirectly trusting Gaara with my life. He can kill me right here, right now. He can uphold the promise he spoke of the last time I saw him. The possibilities are endless. All I know for sure is that he is in control and I am his victim.

Regardless of the knowledge of what he can and will do to me, I'm not afraid. After all, it's nothing compared to Danzo…

'You still haunt me to this day… old prune.' I send Gaara a sad smile, catching him off guard.

"It'll be ok, Gaara."

His eyes widen before he grips his head in pain. The remaining sand falls uselessly to the ground before he staggers closer to me. The smile disappears from his face, leaving only confusion.

"Yashamaru?"

I blink. 'Who?' He stands in front of me but I remain in my spot – noticing the smallest amount of vulnerability in his eyes.

'Whoever that person is…' My expression softens. 'He must have meant a lot to you… right?'

Gaara lifts his hand – attempting to reach my face.

"What's going on here?"

Gaara freezes before lowering his hand to his side. The ANBU makes his way over as the sand circles around Gaara protectively before returning to his gourd. Without a word, he recaps the gourd before glancing down at the floor, not once acknowledging the ANBU's presence.

"I suggest you go to your match. You wouldn't want to be disqualified right?" The ANBU continues.

Gaara doesn't respond. After several passing seconds, he finally lifts his head to send a glare at the ANBU before staggering away to the entrance. He casts me a side glance as he passes, causing me to frown. His expression – it held pain, sorrow, hatred, and confusion.

I continue to watch his retreating form until it disappears at the turn. I frown. 'Yashamaru – why did he call me that name? The look he gave me… he looked like he was asking for help.'

I lower my eyes as I think back to our previous encounters. He would always try to harm me, but for some reason he would stop when he noticed something different about me… about my eyes. It seemed that I reminded him somewhat of that Yahamaru person. What part… I don't know. Every time I saw him, he was in pain. Others feared him, even the other members of his team…

'He's trapped himself in his own world – believing in himself, trusting only himself. He's been alone this whole time; everyone ran away from him – just like with Naruto… and me. But Naruto and I found each other and because of that, we were able to escape that solitude, that pain. We made more friends, and they accepted us… Sasuke, Sakura, Shika, Iruka-sensei, Kaka-sensei… and many others. Yet, Gaara… he was always alone. He lives to kill people to feel relief from that solitude, but why didn't he kill me…not that I'm complaining, but what's stopping him?'

_I will claim what is mine. _

I blink before shaking my head. 'There's no meaning to that… but is it him saying that, or his demon? Even Minori – Kouryuu – is involved in this somehow.'

*sigh*

'Something's missing…' I run a hand through my hair. 'Is everything related somehow… Minori's warnings, Gaara, and Orochimaru? It can't be that…right?'

*sigh*

'Things have become complicated again… how troublesome.' I blink before glancing down at my hand. 'Great…now I sound like Shika.' My face warms up as I recall our match. 'This isn't the time to think about that.' I shake my head.

"Are you alright?"

Turning to the ANBU, I see him tilting his head to the side inquisitively. I smile. "Ahh…I'm fine." I wave him off. "Just a bit worn out from the matches is all."

"He… didn't do anything to harm you, did he?"

Despite the fact I can't see his face, I can still hear the concern in his voice.

"We were just talking. Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine. If you'll excuse me, I need to meet up with my friends." I make a move to walk away, but he reappears in front of me. I narrow my eyes. "Is something wrong?"

He pauses for a moment before replying. "You just seem on the verge of collapsing any moment. It would be better if you were to go to the infirmary; I'm sure your friends would understand if you were unable to meet up with them right away. I'll even escort you. Who knows what could happen to you on your way there."

His last statement sets off several warning bells in my mind, but I outwardly smile. "That's very considerate of you, but I'm sure I'll be able to manage on my own."

I make a move to go around him, but he merely blocks my path once again.

"Oh, but I insist."

"And I respectfully decline."

Our gazes… er… well the holes in the mask match my gaze as we enter a stalemate. He finally releases a sigh.

"If that's what you want…" He holds out his hand. "But at least allow me to heal your injury… it seems something cut your collarbone."

I place a hand over the 'cut' in confusion before he takes a step forward. He gently lifts my hand away, but before he can get a good look, something sends me crashing to the floor.

"Ouch…" I mumble dully before opening my eyes to see my favorite orange-clad friend on top of me.

"Ahh… Naruto. As much as any guy would enjoy this position, get off. You're heavy." I deadpan.

With a nervous chuckle, he quickly jumps up before rubbing the back of his head.

"Gomen Riku. I didn't mean to slip."

"No harm, no foul." I state with a slight smile.

Before I make a move to stand, I see a hand presented to me. Looking up, I see Shika with an unreadable expression on his face.

'Something's wrong.'

I place my hand in his before he quickly pulls me up. Surprised by the force, I stagger forward, resulting in him steadying me by my shoulders.

"How troublesome." He breathes into my ear, causing me to stiffen.

'Wha… why do I feel this way?'

He pulls away, allowing me to release a sigh of relief. "Arigato for finding her for us, but we need to get back to the match. I'm sure she wants to see Sasuke's fight before we take her to the infirmary." Shika states casually. I glance over to the ANBU to see him nod.

"Of course." He glances over at me. "I would get that injury checked. Wouldn't want it to be problematic later on." With that he turns and exits the hallway.

Once he's out of view, I bend the water from the surrounding air before placing it on my collarbone. It glows an eerie teal before dripping back onto the ground. When I trail my hand over it, I still feel the indentations.

I furrow m eyebrows. 'It should have disappeared… why…'

"Riku."

I glance at Shika to see his arms crossed over his chest. That's never a good sign.

"Why did you disappear on us again? You know how worried we were when we saw Gaara killing that ninja? We thought he caught you again!" Naruto exclaims as he flails his arms.

"I've never seen a guy kill like him – no hesitation whatsoever." Shika adds on. "If it weren't for those two ninja, he might have killed us instead. What were you even doing here?"

I sweatdrop. 'What's with these two… it's not like I don't randomly disappear…' *sigh* 'But I must have worried them.'

"I had to get my head cleared after that match. It was pure chance that I ran into Gaara when I was heading back to the waiting area. Gomen ne for worrying you two."

Shika sends me a skeptical look, telling me he knew there was more to it than what I just revealed.

I shake my head. He really does know me too well.

"Eh!" Naruto suddenly grabs my arms before bringing his face close to my neck. "When did you get this scar? I don't remember you ever having this… Wait… you didn't…. he didn't." Naruto stutters before his eyes momentarily flash red.

I let out a sigh. "It's nothing… Gaara just-"

"He marked you!" Naruto growls out, earning surprised looks from Shika and me.

"Naru?" I place my hands on his forearms, feeling his muscles locked in place.

'This isn't like him… what's going on?' I meet his eyes to see them holding a red tint before they return to their normal azure. I blink. 'What was that?'

Naruto lets out an annoyed growl before releasing my arms. "You were going to hide this, weren't you?"

I smile sadly in response before rubbing small circles on his forearms. He already knows the answer.

He pulls away. "Why do you keep doing this? You keep hiding things from me." He rubs the back of his head. "There's more… isn't there?"

I gaze at him evenly.

"Riku… you've been acting weird today. Something's wrong, right? The reason you haven't said anything was because you didn't want us to get involved. Just tell us what's going on! I'm tired of you keeping secrets." His expression softens before he continues. "You don't have to do everything on your own. You've helped me more times than I could count in the past. Now it's my turn."

I smile. I can't believe this is the same Naruto I've met those years ago. Naruto, the knuckle-head of the village, knew the cracks in my mask. It makes me wonder how much he's seen, how much he's observed, how much he's denied about me. How long has he known …everything… my insecurities, my weaknesses, my fears? I have yet to understand my childhood friend, but regardless, I know I can count on him.

*sigh*

"Looks like you've finally learned." I trail off as I place a hand on my collarbone, "I don't know what's wrong to be honest. I just have this feeling that something is going to happen today… something big. This whole day, I've seen signs, been given hints, but I can't be certain of what will happen." I finish before looking at the hallway entrance.

"Explain." I look up to see Shika staring down at me with an unreadable expression. Had he noticed the signs as well? I wouldn't put it past him.

*sigh*

"For some reason, Minori knows what's going on. She's been leaving hints, warning me about a snake in sheep's clothing and how the snake was in striking range. At first I thought nothing of her reference to a snake, but after she mentioned it several times, I knew it held some significance. The only person she could mean is Orochimaru. He's planning something. Planning what…. I have no idea. We need to be on our guard." I glance up to see Shika frown as a grave expression appears on Naruto's face. "As for the signs, I noticed how Kankuro tensed up at the mention of his match. He didn't seem like he was expecting to fight, but that doesn't make sense. If he knew he was in the final matches, why would he think he wouldn't have to fight his match? His match was supposed to be after Sasuke's. Was something going to happen in Sasuke's match that would prevent the exams from continuing?" I pause for a moment to let the information sink in. Shika had his eyes closed in concentration, while a frown forms on Naruto face. "Gaara's somehow a part of this… that's the only explanation. If something was going to happen during Sasuke's match, it had to do with Gaara. Why else would Kankuro look at Temari for deciding whether or not to fight his match? The sand siblings... they're up to something. The pieces are there… I just don't know how they fit together." I trail off as I notice Naruto clenching his fists and shaking.

'Naruto… you're still shaken up after that incident… I don't blame you…'

*sigh* "How troublesome. Things are never easy when it comes to you, are they?" Shika states in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. I merely smile sadly in response.

'You have no idea….'

"From what you've told us, there's a high chance Orochimaru is behind this if we take the words of your demon. However, for logic's sake – from just the observations – it seems that the sand ninjas are planning something and Sasuke's a part of it, whether he wants to be or not. Also, that ANBU we ran into. There's something off about him as well. I'm not sure what, but he seemed like he wanted to take you somewhere. It's not likely that he was an enemy in disguise, but we need to take all possibilities into account. As to why he would want you… I think the reason is obvious if Orochimaru is involved." Shika finishes with a frown.

"That means…." Naruto trails off.

"…we're screwed." Shika finishes with a sigh.

"Only if we don't stop the match. Everything seems to point back to it." I add in. "Also…I don't know how much stronger Sasuke's gotten, but I do know it's not enough at this point…"

Naruto's eyes widen in realization. "We need to get Kakashi-sensei. If we don't, then Sasuke's going to die!"

With that, all of us race to the stands to look for Kaka-sensei.

'_**So you finally figured it out?'**_

Great timing as always.

'Give a better warning next time!' I thought back angrily.

'_**I thought I made it clear with the snake metaphor. Looks like you're slower than I thought.'**_

'Not my fault I was missing pieces of information.'

'_**Still not my fault. But Riku…'**_

Noticing the worry in her voice, I slow my pace.

'Nani?'

'_**Don't be foolish. Whatever happens next is meant to happen. The past always repeats itself. That is how life continues on.'**_

I frown. 'What are you talking about? The past is the past. It has nothing to do with this… right?'

'… _**You don't know how wrong you are. But maybe you might be able to break the cycle… but for now, you are merely a puppet tied down by fate. You are too weak to fight back… still too weak…'**_

'Cycle? What cycle? I am not tied down by fate. I make my own future and no one or thing is going to tell me what to do. Not even fate.'

'… _**Such fire…she said the same exact words. You better be careful. A difficult trial is coming up. Will you survive or meet the same fate as many of my other containers. Let the games begin…'**_

With that, Minori shuts off the connection, leaving me to ponder the words she left behind. I didn't get a chance to ask her how she knew about Orochimaru to start with or her unusual reaction toward Gaara. But she said that the past repeats itself. Does that mean she saw this before and due to the similarities in the events, she made that assumption? If so, how did she know it was specifically Orochimaru behind this? There's more to this than meets the eye. Orochimaru…he knows something… but what?

"Oi Riku! Hurry up!"

I snap out of my thoughts to see Naruto yelling at me from the entrance to the stands. Shika casts a worried glance my way as I catch up, but we didn't have time to talk.

We are running out of time.

'Whatever happens is meant to happen…" I clench my jaw. 'It can't be true…'

**{~}**

**(Unknown perspective)**

"So it seems they figured it out, if just partly. What to do." The ANBU mutters as he watches the three Konoha ninjas sprint to the stands. He continues to fiddle with the kunai in his hands.

"Looks like we will have to start early. What a shame. I wanted to see her squirm a little more." He slams the kunai against the wall, allowing the paper bomb to dangle freely from the handle. "Let's see whose belief is stronger… yours or mine … my dear friend." The ANBU smirks before walking away.

**{~}**

-At the stands-

**(Third person perspective)**

"Kakashi-sensei!" "Kaka-sensei!"

Hearing his name, Kakashi turns around to see Riku, Naruto, and Shikamaru panting at the top of the steps.

"Riku-chan! Naruto-kun!" Lee states ecstatically. Riku glances over at him and offers a small wave before shifting her gaze back to Kakashi.

"Nani?" Kakashi asks disinterested.

"Sensei, please stop this match right now!"

Everyone casts confused glances at Naruto except for Riku and Shikamaru.

"He's different from us. He's not normal." Naruto explains.

"What are you talking about?" Ino scoffs.

"He lives to kill people! At this rate, Sasuke will die!"

Kakashi doesn't respond, only looking at Naruto impassively.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

He still does not respond, merely glancing back at the match to see Sasuke running at Gaara with the chidori.

"Oi Kaka-sensei. Just listen for one second damn it! Stop the match. The sand-"

Before Riku can finish, an explosion occurs in the hallway. Her eyes widen as she stares at the hallway now filled with raging flames and spewing smoke. Cries of surprise flood the stands as onlookers stand up from their seats.

'… Is it already too late?'

As she finishes the thought, a genjutsu overtakes the stands – knocking most of the observers unconscious – before another explosion occurs at the observation platform.

"Kai!" Kakashi, Gai, Riku, and Sakura dispel the genjutsu.

Once the area clears, Gai and Kakashi notice the smoke in the observation platform.

"Hokage-sama." Kakashi makes a move to go to the explosion, but several ANBU tell him to let them handle it. Clenching his fists, he glances down to the front of the stands to see a man disguised as an ANBU standing calmly before him.

*flap*flap*

Discarding their disguises, countless sound ninja line up side by side next to the fake ANBU.

"They have quite the numbers." Kakashi comments as he eyes the sound ninjas. "I never would have expected the enemy to dress up as an ANBU."

"We were careless." Gai continues, "And to top it off, they have Hokage-sama."

Gai glances toward the observation platform to see the Hokage trapped by another figure.

"Kakashi, look inside the field."

Kakashi glances over before his eye widens. "Orochimaru!" Riku stiffens before glancing over as well.

'He really is here… why…' She clenches her hands. '…You. Why do you keep appearing? Why won't you just disappear?!'

Shocked, Sakura stands from her seat to look at the arena. 'He's not there… he can't…' She shakily brings her hands to her face. "Sasuke-kun!"

In her hysteria, she fails to notice the sound ninja coming towards her.

"Sakura, get down!"

Complying to Riku's voice, Sakura squats down and uses her arms to protect her head.

*Clink*stab*

Sakura slowly opens her eyes to see several sound ninjas falling to the ground with senbon embedded in their necks. At the same time, Kakashi appears on the seat as he cuts away two other ninjas making their way to Sakura. He looks down at Sakura with an eye smile.

"Sakura. Stay like that for a moment. I'm going to decrease the number of enemies. Riku, stay close to Sakura."

With that, Kakashi jumps back into the battle.

*flap*

"Eh?" Sakura glances up to see a black jacket covering her head. "What are you doing? You-" She stops, noticing the cold expression on Riku's face. "Riku… you-"

She pauses, biting her bottom lip. 'That expression… you're not going to end up like that again right…? Your expression… scares me.'

Noticing Sakura's discomfort, Riku sends Sakura a smile. "Use it to cover your head. Regular throwing weapons won't tear it, so it'll protect you." Riku answers and makes a move to leave, but stops when a hand circles her wrist.

"Riku…" Sakura murmurs sadly as she tightens her grip on the jacket. 'Orochimaru wants both you and Sasuke… I don't want to lose either of you… I don't want you to go back to how you were… I just…' She lifts he face to gaze at Riku's back before her eyes widen. 'A genjutsu? Why would you…' The genjutsu fades, revealing Riku's scar. A gasp escapes Sakura's lips as she covers her mouth.

Riku glances back with a smirk. "What is it? If you keep staring at me like that, I'll start to think you still have feelings for me Sakura."

"Be serious! Why…" Sakura's face falls. "Why do you have that… it can't be… nothing like that should have ever happened!"

"You really do talk too much Sakura…" Riku murmurs before throwing several senbon at an approaching sound ninja. She stares back evenly as the body tumbles down the stairs. "It's just a rather _permanent_ reminder of my past." She pulls out of Sakura's grip.

A disheartened expression enters Sakura face as she lowers her hand. "Still, you shouldn't have-"

"This isn't the time to talk about it." Riku interrupts before she grips her eyes in pain.

"I…" Sakura glances over at her in worry. "Riku… are you alright?"

Nodding her head, Riku lowers her hand before blinking her eyes in an attempt to focus her vision. No luck. Her vision continues to blur in and out, further disorienting her.

'Now it acts up… why?'

Closing her eyes in an attempt to lessen the pain, Riku concentrates on the movement of water particles to judge the movements of the enemy ninja. However, due to the large number of people in the area, she can't differentiate the positions of the enemies and her allies. Releasing a heavy sigh, Riku opens her eyes once again to see blurred figures.

"Riku behind you!"

'Wha-?'

She turns to the voice before feeling herself crashing to the ground.

*clang*crash*

The impact manages to clear her vision, allowing her to see Shikamaru taking down a sound ninja.

"Shika?" She staggers up.

*sigh* "What a drag." He straightens himself. "You just had to go and get yourself in trouble again. Now I have to actually fight."

Shaking her head, Riku allows a small smile to enter her face before taping the back of Shikamaru's head with her knuckles. "You should be used to that by now Mr. Genius."

She receives a sigh in response before the two take on a defensive stance.

"They just keep coming." She mutters under her breath before glancing worriedly over to the observation platform. 'Be safe Ojii-san…' Focusing her gaze back to the sound ninjas, she allows a smirk to enter her face.

'Time to remove the useless pieces.' With that, she sends a lightning induced punch at a charging sound ninja, knocking him into two others before they all collapse in a heap; lightning still crackles against their bodies.

At that moment, Kakashi appears in front of Sakura. "Sakura. I'm glad I taught you about genjutsu during the survival training. You have talent in that area."

"Nani?" She states confused as she tries to understand its relevance to the current situation.

"Sakura. Riku. Dispel the genjutsu and wake up Naruto. I'm sure Naruto will rejoice; it's his first mission in a long time."

"Mission." Riku mutters out before realization dawns on her, "Ahh… I see." Turning around, she grasps the sound ninja's throat before chucking him at the one sneaking behind guy. At the sound of falling bodies, Gai turns around and gives her a thumbs up before focusing on the incoming ninjas.

"Yes…" He closes his eye. "This is an A-Rank mission, just like the mission in the Country of Wave."

"Nani?" Sakura's eyes widen.

Before he can answer, he throws a sound ninja over his shoulder – causing Sakura to duck once again.

"What do you mean by an A-Rank mission in this situation? What are we supposed to do?" Sakura asks worriedly.

"Sasuke went after Gaara of the Sand and the others. Sakura. Riku. Dispel the genjutsu on Naruto and go after Sasuke. Take Shikamaru with you. He'll be able to help." He explains before he pricks his thumb with a kunai so that a trail of blood was running down his finger.

"But if that is the case, I should wake up Ino and Chouji and go in a bigger group." Sakura reasons before glancing over to the two.

"Not exactly." Riku lands next to Sakura. "If we have too many people then enemy ninja will be able to spot us easily." Riku comments before throwing several lightning induced senbon at several approaching sound ninja.

*stab*stab* The bodies clatter uselessly to the ground.

"Exactly. There are already many sand and sound ninja inside this village. Movement with more than four people, a basic platoon, will result in a decrease in swiftness, and it becomes more difficult to conceal yourselves from the enemy. You learned that in the patrol exercises in the Academy correct?" Kakashi explains.

"Oh, yes!" Sakura answers before a frown enters her face, "Wait, if we're only moving with four people, does that mean you're not coming with us Kakashi-sensei?"

"Correct. I can't leave this place, but…" Kakashi trails off as he performs the summoning technique on someone's back. "Pakkun here will chase after Sasuke through his scent. He won't attract too much attention so take him with you."

"So the doggy is coming with us?" Pakkun jumps over to Sakura before stopping inches before her face. "Hey, little girl. Don't call me a cute doggy." He glances over to Riku and hops onto her head. "Long time no see, kid. Last time I saw you, you were a boy."

"And now I'm a girl. Nice to see you too Pakkun." Riku states with a smile before grabbing Shikamaru's wrist as she makes her way to Naruto's passed out body. Sakura wakes up Naruto from the genjustu while Riku covers them. Noticing the lack of response from Shikamaru, she glances around to see him faking sleep on the ground.

*sweatdrop* 'You have to be joking…'

"Shika… I know you're awake. You were just several seconds ago." Riku mutters out before crossing her arms. No response. Releasing a sigh, Riku glances up at Pakkun with a mischievous grin. "Want to take care of it?"

He sends her a wolfish grin. "I'll do the honors." Pakkun hops off of Rikut's head before biting Shikamaru in the leg.

"Ouch!" Shikamaru panics as he tries to shake Pakkun off his leg.

"What kind of man leaves a woman to do all the fighting?" Riku goads.

"Tch. Stop making fun of my manhood woman." Shikamaru states as he plays with Pakkun's face. "To answer your question, the lazy kind. I don't want to be involved in this; it's too troublesome. I don't really care about Sasuke either." He sighs. "But if you're going, then I guess I can't just sit back."

*chomp*

Pakkun bites Shikamaru's hand before letting go and standing next to Riku. Before anyone can react, a sound ninja appears behind Naruto; however, Gai shoves him into the wall before pushing him through it – creating a massive hole.

Kakashi appears soon afterwards. "I'll tell you the mission now. Go after Sasuke, and once you meet up with him, stop him. Then await further orders in a safe area."

"Got it." Sakura hands Riku her jacket while sending a look saying they would talk about the scar later.

A smile enters Riku's face. 'Still as nosy as ever Sakura…'

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he turns to Sakura. "What happened to Sasuke?"

Sakura crawls over to him. "I'll explain on the way." She wraps her arm over Naruto's chest before jumping through the hole in the wall.

"Geez, why me?" Shikamaru mutters to himself.

"Hey kid! If you succeed in this mission, I'll let you touch my pads as a reward. So don't be selfish!" Pakkun states. "Look. It's soft and bouncy!"

"Soft and bouncy…?" Shikamaru mutters out disinterested.

"Probably the only thing you'll touch that's like that…" Riku trails off as she puts on her jacket, causing Shikamaru to send a glare in her direction. "What?" She asks evenly before a smirk enters her face. "Oh. You were thinking of something perverted weren't you?"

"Shut up." Shikamaru covers his face with one hand.

"Really soft and bouncy!" Pakkun concludes, oblivious to the short conversation between Riku and Shikamaru.

*sweatdrop*sweatdrop* The two stare at Pakkun with disbelieving looks.

"…Let's just go." Pakkun bites Shikamaru's hand before pulling him through the hole, leaving only Riku.

"Riku, what are you waiting for? Go!" Kakashi orders before slicing at another enemy.

She sends a hesitant glance at Kakashi before turning away to face the hole. "… You better not die Kaka-sensei…" Riku trails off before jumping through the wall as well.

"Will they be ok?" Gai asks as he looks at where the genins had once been.

"Pakkun is with them. They'll be fine… if they don't pursue the enemy too far." Kakashi replies as he faces the enemy ninja once again. He closes his eye before placing a hand on his headband.

'Riku… don't let it consume you… the seal won't hold it back much longer…'

* * *

><p>-Konoha Forest-<p>

**(First person perspective)**

"I see… so that's what happened. Damn it Sasuke, you got too hasty!" Naruto comments as Sakura finishes briefing him on the mission.

"So why am I out here? How troublesome."

"We couldn't help it. Those were Kakashi-sensei's orders." Sakura answers as Pakkun continues to lead us to Sasuke.

"Hey, you guys. Increase your speed." Pakkun orders after several minutes.

"What is it? Did you find Sasuke?" Sakura asks hopefully.

"No. Two platoons, a total of eight people, are behind us… no, I sense another one… so nine guys are coming after us."

'Nine? They aren't messing around then…' I narrow my eyes. 'We have to lose them…'

"Hey, man… already?" Shika mutters out. "You've got to be kidding me."

"They haven't found our exact location yet. But we'll have to lose them."

Pakkun suddenly stops and tells us to walk backwards to make it look like our footsteps vanished. It wouldn't delay them for long, but any delay would be good at this point. After we finish, we continue to head in the direction of Sasuke's scent.

"This is bad. They're gaining on us even though they're being careful and looking out for any ambushes." Pakkun states grimly.

"They must all be above Chunin level. If they catch us, we'll be annihilated." I comment.

"Then we should stop and hide to ambush them." Naruto reasons.

"Ambush? I see… if we ambush them, we'll have an advantage. Even though there are twice as many as us, if we catch them off guard, it could work." Sakura states in agreement.

"We can't do that. They're the men of the former Konoha ninja, Orochimaru. Worst case is that there is a Jounin among them." Shika states before continuing, "An ambush won't work… the conditions have to be met."

"And what are those conditions?" Naruto questions.

"First, the runner must move noiselessly and must discover the enemy first. Second, we must secure a location to catch the pursuers off guard and inflict critical damage to them and quickly conceal ourselves in our location. Once we meet the conditions, we have a valid ambush. If we have a ninja dog's nose, we can find their location pretty easily. As for the second condition, it seems that we're at an advantage since this is our village, and we know the terrain better. But Orochimaru has been in Konoha before. If we are dealing with his men, that method won't work."

"…Meaning the pursuers were taught the terrain and have most likely gone through training for this battle. To top it off, they're all most likely ninja who have mastered the art of tracking and pursuit." I continue, earning a nod from Shika.

"So they'll know how we'll act." Sakura replies crestfallen.

"Ambushing is still advantageous, but there are too many uncertain factors. Furthermore, the enemy is a squadron organized specifically for this plan. As for us, we have an idiot…"

*tickmark*

"…a kunoichi who has no special traits…"

*tickmark*

"… a trouble magnet with no sense of self-preservation…"

'Ahh… can't argue with that.'

"… a dog…"

*tickmark*

"… and the number one coward: me. A strategy is devised by understanding the situation and creating the best plan for that situation. There's only one thing we can do right now." Shika trails off.

"One thing?" Sakura mutters out confused.

"A feint operation that looks like an ambush. One person will stay behind, set up things to look like an ambush and stop them."

"So… play the decoy?" Sakura reasons.

"If the person can stop them, they won't be able to get the location of the other three. Then we can lose the pursuers, but the decoy will most likely… die."

We all stop and land on the branch.

'If that's the case, then there's about two options then…'

"So who wants to take the job?" Shika mutters out calmly. "We need the dog to look for Sasuke so that means…"

Naruto clenches his fists.

'Baka… you don't need to do this…'

"Ok I-"

Before Naruto finishes, I cut him off. "I'll do it. We need a strategist to pull this off and no offense Naruto, but you're not one."

Naruto makes a move to protest, but Shika interrupts him.

"Baka..." I glance over at Shika as he lightly bonks me over the head. "The only choice left…is me."

I widen my eyes. "Shika… don't."

He sends me a sad smile. "How troublesome. Don't give me that look… you know as well as I do that it's the best option." He places a hand on my head. "Be careful out there alright? Don't lose yourself to your madness. Wouldn't want to bring those two knuckleheads any more trouble right?"

I nod before grasping his hand and lowering it from my head. "I know..."

Sakura turns to face him. "Shikamaru!"

"Why you?" Naruto asks angrily.

"It's better than being annihilated." He lets go of my hand and takes a step back. "Also, the only guy who can pull off this decoy perfectly and have a high chance of surviving within this group…" Shika trails off as he jumps over to the branch behind us. "… is me. Riku may be able to pull it off, but what kind of man would I be if I let a woman protect me. Besides, Sasuke is your teammate, not mine so it's your job to go after him. The Shadow Imitation was originally made to stop the enemy anyway. I'll catch up with you guys later. Hurry up and go."

I grit my teeth in annoyance. It was true that I had to go after Sasuke, but I can't just leave Shika to face the enemy alone… even if it is our only option if we wanted to catch up to Sasuke.

'There's no way around it. I have to let him… we're running out of time.'

"Shika… as much as I hate your male pride at times… you're right, but you better come back alive you hear me? If not, I'll drag you out of your grave just to kill you myself." I know that was no way to motivate him, but threatening him always did work…

"We're counting on you Shikamaru!" Naruto adds on.

Shika says nothing, merely raising his right hand to let us know he heard us. With that we continue heading in the direction of Sasuke's scent, but for some reason the enemy continues to close the distance between us.

"Hey, the enemy is getting closer and closer. Is he really stopping them?" Pakkun asks.

"Did he…" Sakura trails off uncertainly. Noticing her anxiety, I place a hand on her shoulder. "He won't betray us. I know he can be lazy…"

"And foul-mouthed" Naruto adds.

"Ahh... true I suppose… anyway, the point is, when he chooses to do something, he goes all the way."

"Yup. Shikamaru will be fine." Naruto concludes.

"If you say so…" Sakura states off uncertainly.

*sigh* 'Shika… you better make it out of there alive.'

After several minutes, Pakkun tells us that the pursuers have stopped. All of us let out a sigh of relief, but we knew we didn't have time to rest. We had to find Sasuke before it was too late. As we continue to make ground, Pakkun suddenly stops, telling us that we're about to enter a battleground. Deeming it risky to enter the area on the premise that we would have to fight, we decide to take a longer route around the area to avoid the combatants.

**{~}**

-Time skip-

"Are we almost there?" Naruto asks Pakkun.

"He should be just up ahead."

At his response, Naruto and I speed through the trees, finally seeing Sasuke. But before we can celebrate, we both notice something made of sand about to attack him. Acting on impulse, Naruto charges in and lands a solid kick at the creature's head as I land one at its side before back-flipping onto a branch behind us. The creature quickly recovers, using one of its sand appendages to stop itself from sliding off the tree.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Hearing the panic in Sakura's voice, Naruto and I glance back to see Sasuke on the branch clutching his neck in pain.

"Naruto." He turns to face me. "Cover us while I heal Sasuke."

He sends me a confident smile. "Got it."

I jump over to Sasuke to see Sakura and Pakkun glancing over at him in worry. "Sasuke…" I breathe out before crouching down to him. "Look who's doing the saving now huh…" I let out a humorless laugh before a soft teal glow encases my hand.

"You guys…" He tries to stand. "Agh!" He crashes back onto the branch.

"Baka!" I place my hand on his shoulder before feeling my seal burn. 'What? It hurts…' I grit my teeth. 'Why is it reacting to him… is it because…'

I glance over to his face to see the seal taking over half of his face. 'So that's it… He broke Kakashi's seal. Tch. I'm reacting to the curse seal… why now?' I shake my head. 'Now's not the time to think of this… just ignore it.'

He releases a pained groan before grasping my free hand.

"Riku…you… ugh!" He tightens his hold on my hand before attempting to stand once again.

*sigh* 'Why is he so damn stubborn?'

"Stop moving… around baka." I pant out before allowing the water to encase my hand. "This might hurt… so please bear with it."

The water glows an eerie white before it sinks through his skin.

"Aggghhh!" He tightens his hold on my hand as he fights to stay still.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura takes his other hand in hers and attempts to soothe him.

'Just bear with it….' I close my eyes before the image of his chakra system appears in my mind. 'Ruptures…' I trail my hand over his back. 'Several portions blocked…' I move my hand to his shoulder, seeing an influx of a dark-colored chakra. 'And a parasite…' I bite my bottom lip. 'The damage is severe. I don't know how to fix everything… but I'll do my best.'

I try to pull my other hand away from Sasuke only to have his hand tighten around mine, refusing to let go.

"No…" He groans out, causing me to pause. "Not again…" He pants out.

'Sasuke…' I relax my hand in his hold. 'Alright…'

The water disperses and travels along the chakra system, repairing the damaged portions before halting at the darkened portion of his system.

"Aaghhh!"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura panics.

'I can't get close enough… I'm not strong enough to reseal the parasite.' A jolt surges up my arm before the seal's pain intensifies.

*pant*pant*

"Riku?" Sakura asks worriedly, "How is he?"

Sweat trails down my face as I open my eyes. "His chakra system is severely damaged… I managed to fix most of it, but not everything…" I trail off before placing my hand on his back once again.

"One more time…" Water encases my hand and takes on a teal hue before I push it into Sasuke's skin.

He lets out a pained groan before relaxing. 'Just repair the muscles… that's all…' The water disperses and regenerates the torn muscles fibers. 'Just a bit more…' My hand begins to tremble. "Almost..."

'Done.' I pull my hand away and allow the remaining water to drip from my fingers.

*pant*pant* 'It hurts… damn… it really, really hurts…' I glance down at my shaking hand. 'I don't know how much more stress my body can handle…'

"Is he going to be ok now?" Sakura asks.

I snap out of my musings. 'That's right… I can't let them worry… I can't be weak.'

Lowering my hand away from her sight, I send her a nod.

"Ahh… for now. I repaired as much as I could… but his chakra system is too damaged for him to perform any advanced jutsus and he's suffering from chakra exhaustion." I let out a sigh. "I can't get the curse seal back to normal… it's too advanced for me to take care of…"

"I see…" She lets out a sigh of relief. "So he'll be ok…"

"That's great Riku! I knew you had it in you!" Naruto calls back to me, causing me to smile. "Oh and Sakura-chan?"

*tickmark* "What do you want?" Sakura sends Naruto a glare before tightening her hold on Sasuke's hand.

*sigh* 'She needs to learn to be a bit nicer to him…'

I glance over to Sasuke to see him still holding my hand. 'Why wouldn't you let go? It doesn't make sense… I'm not going to leave again, so why?'

"Who the hell is he?"

I glance up to see Naruto pointing at the half sand, half human figure. My eyes widen. 'Gaara? Is that his demon taking over?'

"His appearance has changed, but he's that Gaara guy." Pakkun answers.

At the sound of Gaara's name, Naruto's form immediately tenses.

Pakkun turns to Sakura. "Hey little girl. I'm not a combat type so don't blame me for not fighting."

*tickmark* "I could tell that from your looks!" Sakura replies.

Sasuke releases both Sakura's hand and mine before attempting to push himself up.

"Nghhaaa!" Sasuke still tries to stand but ends up collapsing back on the branch.

"Oi!" I place my hands on his shoulders, noticing with disdain the pain flooding through my body from the contact. "Even though I just healed you, you're not in any condition to stand." He merely ignores me, attempting to stand once again before slumping back down onto the branch.

*tickmark* 'Stubborn baka…'

"Tch. I can't just watch…" He answers with a glare. "He wants to kill me… you guys too since you interfered."

I pull away from him. 'He's right…'

"Yes… you're that guy I tried to kill." Gaara comments, catching my attention. I turn to face him to see him gazing at Naruto's frozen form.

A crazed look enters Gaara's face before he switches his gaze over to me.

"Kouryuu!" He slams one of his sand appendages against the branch. "Come out, come out! Make me feel alive. I want to dye this place with your blood."

"Kouryuu?" Sakura repeats before facing me. "What's he talking about?"

I give her a confused look. "I have no idea." Fat lie.

'Gomen ne Sakura, but we already have enough things to worry about. No need to add another.'

"Still hiding Kouryuu?" He lets out a humorless laugh. "Fine. I'll just take care of the useless flies."

I frown. 'This isn't looking good for us.' I stand. 'Sasuke's down. Sakura won't stand a chance against Gaara. As for Naruto…' I glance over to see him trembling before he clenches his hands. 'Then there's me…' I glance down at my trembling hand to see lightning crackling against it. 'If I fight, we'll lose more than just a fight…'

*gulp*

'Looks like there's little choice…' I glance over at Naruto. 'I know you'll pull through this Naru…' I thought as I close my eyes.

"Bikoume." I snap open my eyes to reveal two blue rings on my irises. A barrage of scenes floods my mind before suddenly halting. 'I see it.'

Shaking his head, Naruto turns to face us. "Everyone, we're going to run!" Naruto exclaims, but before he could finish, Gaara launches himself at Sakura, Sasuke, and I.

"Die, Uchiha Sasuke!" He brings his sand claw back, poised ready for attack.

But before Gaara could close the distance, Sakura and I block his path. His eyes widen in shock before they narrow.

"Riku! Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaims in the distance.

"Get out of my way!" Gaara slams Sakura and me into a nearby tree.

"Ugh…" Sakura releases a groan before slumping unconscious.

"Sakura-chan! Riku!"

*pant*pant*

Glancing up weakly, I see Naruto calling out to us whereas Sasuke looks on with a look of disbelief. Specks of black enter my vision, but I merely shake my head to get rid of the specks. The attempt fails, flooding my vision with blotches of red and black.

"Why… why do you purposely get in my way?" Gaara growls out to me before applying more pressure against me.

"Ack…" I cough out several specks of blood before gazing back up at him. I smirk. "Because I can *pant*pant* and will. *pant* If you don't like it…*pant* kill me."

He stares at me for a moment before releasing me from his hold, causing me to land shakily on my legs.

*stab*

I stagger back.

"Riku!"

"Kid!"

*drip*drip*

*dribble*

Blood dribbles down my chin before I gaze down to see a pillar of sand running through my stomach. I shakily place a hand on the sand before lifting my head up to see shock on Naruto's and Sasuke's faces.

"You…" A tear falls down Naruto's face.

I send him a small smile before everything fades to black.

"RIKU!"

* * *

><p>~Mindscape~<p>

"_**You truly are an idiot." **_

I crack open my eyes to see the normal frozen tundra with the exception of the random spots of lingering darkness. I try to move, but feel only pain surging through me, causing to slump back down as I gasp for air.

"_**To have purposely put yourself in that situation… is he really that important to you?" **_

I let out a shaky laugh before stopping when the pain spikes. "I don't know what… you're talking about."

"…_**I don't understand you… You would go this far just for him… to draw out his raw potential."**_

Darkness engulfs more of the icy tundra.

I simply smile.

"_**You're not going to make it… you know this."**_

I weakly shake my head. "Ahh… I'll make it."

The darkness closes in.

Minori lets out a throaty chuckle. _**"You're so sure of this. It's funny."**_ She pauses. _**"I guess I can't let you die. Not yet." **_

Closer.

"_**You know what to do. Let's see if you truly are worthy of being my container."**_

Closer.

I let out a small chuckle. "Kouryuu… I won't succumb to you."

The darkness encases me before the area is filled with swirling red chakra.

"_**We'll see… little one. We'll see."**_

* * *

><p>-Back at the Forest-<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

"How pitiful… you really have fallen, Kouryuu." Gaara tosses Riku's body to the side. Naruto's eyes widen before he catches her and jumps back on the branch next to Sasuke.

"Riku…" Naruto mutters as he lowers her body. "You can't be… hey…" His hand trembles as he brushes away the stray bangs covering her face, ignoring the blood coating his hands. "Wake up… you got me… so wake up. This is just a joke right? Just another prank?" Tears flood his vision.

"Naruto." Pakkun murmurs.

Sasuke makes his way over and places a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"She's still breathing." Sasuke adds before placing a hand on her neck. "Same with her pulse, but it's weak." Clenching his teeth, he staggers up. "Hey Naruto."

Naruto doesn't take his eyes away from Riku. 'You… how…'

"You better rescue Sakura no matter what. Once you do, take Riku and Sakura and run." He casts a glance at Riku before clenching his hands. "She doesn't have much time left. You can do it."

Naruto snaps his gaze up to Sasuke. "Sasuke… are you…?"

Sasuke turns to face Gaara. "I can buy you some time. If it ends here, it will mean that I was only capable of getting this far. I have already lost everything once…" He tightens his fists. "I never want to see an important friend die in front of me again."

"An important friend?" Naruto repeats before glancing down at Riku once again, noticing the pained expression on her face. Regret enters his face for a moment before it hardens. "I see… that's right." After wiping away the tears, he lowers Riku's body down to the branch, allowing Pakkun to rest his paws on her arm. "It's just like Riku said. He's like me. I've felt the same loneliness and sadness. That was why I thought he was strong… he fought only for himself. But you can't be strong if you fight for yourself. You're only strong when you protect someone. It's time for me to knock some sense into him."

He finishes before casting another glance at Riku. 'This time… this time I'll be the one protecting you… I promise.'

With that, Naruto forms the hand sign for his favorite jutsu as a mass of blue chakra spirals around him. "I will protect everyone! Mass shadow clone jutsu!"

Thousands of Naruto clones cover the branches of the surrounding trees. Gaara looks around him in annoyance.

"Kid…" Pakkun mutters sadly before stiffening. 'This chakra…' He glances to her face to see her eyes slowly cracking open, revealing a pair of mismatched red and silver slit eyes. 'This… this isn't good…' He takes several steps back before he sees the wound on her stomach burning away from existence. 'The seal can't hold it back anymore…'

The seal on her neck glows a pulsating crimson before slinking down her arm, mimicking the image of chains. With a glazed look in her eyes, she staggers up as lightning licks against her body.

"_**Enemy…" **_She rasps before lifting her gaze to Gaara. Ice covers her arms and legs as patches of scales appear on her skin.

Naruto gazes back at Riku in surprise before it turns into relief. "Riku! You're…" He trails off before noticing the flickering red chakra radiating from her body. His eyes widen as his smile falls. "That chakra…"

Before Naruto can finish his sentence, Gaara charges at Riku, clenching her throat as he slams her through several trees.

"Riku!" Clenching his teeth, Naruto charges at Gaara with numerous shadow clones. "Oi get away from her!" Thousands of clones simultaneously attack Gaara, throwing shuriken at him before kicking him into the air and attacking him from all sides. Before he can recover, Naruto slams him into the forest ground.

*crack*

"How…" Gaara growls out as another onslaught on clones charge at him. 'Enough!' A pillar of sand runs through them, dispelling them on impact. Gaara staggers up as more sand encases his body, giving him the appearance of a raccoon made of sand.

*crack*

Gaara glances up with a smirk to see Riku glaring down at him with fangs bared.

"_**You… can't control me." **_She growls out before charging at him. He sends several pillars of sand, only to have them immediately disperse from the violent lightning radiating from her body. She reappears in front of him before launching him in the air.

'Her power… it just increased…' Gaara growls before several more Naruto clones attack him from all sides, knocking him into a nearby tree. He lifts his head to see Riku standing several feet before him. 'Those eyes…' His hand twitches. 'I hate them! Disappear!' He slams her against a tree before breaking off a portion of himself to keep her trapped. 'Now…'

A large cloud of smoke covers the area before it clears to reveal a large sand raccoon.

Naruto gazes up at it in disbelief. "That's… the monster inside of him?" He trails off before glancing back at Riku's trapped form. A pained growl rips through her throat as the red chakra runs rampant, attacking the nearby trees.

"AAAGGGHHHA!"

"Riku!" "Riku!"

Sasuke and Naruto call out her name, but it does nothing for her. Her screams continue to increase as her body rejects the demonic chakra. The seal forcibly tries to restrain the chakra – branching out to her face and legs – but it only increases her pain.

"AAAGHHA AHH…GNH!"

Sasuke makes a move towards her, but immediately falls to his knees. "My...body…it won't move. Damn it!" Sasuke pounds on the trunk as he gazes at Riku's pained expression. 'Why… why can't I protect her? Why am I still weak?'

'It's happening again… You're losing it.' Naruto realizes.

"Riku!" Naruto makes a move towards her body, but Gaara's sand quickly circles him. Fear dominates his eyes as he stares at the sand.

'This… it's just like what happened in the hallway…' He recalls the ninja's look of fear and desperation before nothing left of him remained. Naruto closes his eyes. 'I… I can't escape it… I'm really going to die…' A look of resignation enters his face before he snaps his eyes open when he hears Riku's pained screams.

'What am I thinking… I promised to protect you… I-I won't die. I won't go back on our promise!' Naruto uses his thumb to wipe away the blood trailing from the corner of his mouth before performing the summoning technique. A cloud of smoke covers the area before he opens his eyes. "Just hold on a little longer… I'll take away your pain." He straightens himself. "I'll save you… Riku…Sakura…" He mutters as he stand on top of the toad chief's head.

Riku's screams slowly die out as she gazes up at Naruto's form. "_**Naru**_..to." Another wave of pain surges through her body, burning her insides with some invisible flame.

*pant*pant*

'_**Is this all you have?' **_

She grits her teeth before closing her eyes. 'You wish.'

'_**Prove it.'**_

Riku snaps open her eyes as a torrent of red chakra circles her body – caressing, mocking, goading.

_Come out, come out! Make me feel alive. I want to dye this place with your blood. _

'I won't…'

_Fine. I'll just take care of the useless flies._

'I won't let you!'

An enraged roar reverberates through the forest before the sand clumps uselessly to the ground before reforming into a sand clone. Wisps of red chakra continue to circle her form, but it slowly calms down until it appears as a soft hum against her skin.

'I won't let my body reject it… I won't give in even if I have to lose myself to the madness.'

_*crack* _

'_**Then lose yourself.' **_

Riku's breathing levels out before her arms slump before her.

"_**Are you going to kill me?" **_She lifts her head to face the clone before tilting her head to the side to allow the stray bangs to fall away from her face. A crazed smile enters her face. _**"Kill me… hurt me… You're funny…" **_ She lets out a hollow chuckle. _**"I'll kill you…"**_

The sand clone charges at her, only to have to have her reappear in front of it with her ice claw twisted in its stomach.

"_**It was right here…" **_She murmurs before a surge of lightning creates a gaping hole. _**"Snapping bone… flowing blood… doesn't it warm your ears?" **_

The clone doesn't respond, casing a snarl to appear on her face. _**"You push me back..." **_She leans in closer. _**"I kill you." **_

The sand disperses before Riku gazes down at her claws to see it coated in blood. _**"You really don't value your humanity… fool… disgusting parasite." **_She straightens herself before making her way over to Sakura's trapped form.

Stopping in front of Sakura, Riku stares at her impassively before slamming a claw into the sand holding her hostage. _**"Weakling… Toy… Mine..." **_She drags her claw downwards, running a trail of slashes on its surface. _**"All the things you called me…" **_She tightens her hold on the sand before piercing it with her claws. "_**I hate you…"**_

A pained scream echoes in the forest, causing a smirk to appear on Riku's face. "_**Time's up… Shukaku."**_

The sand crumbles away, causing Sakura's form to plummet towards the ground. Riku makes a move to catch her, but Sasuke had already done so.

"_**You**_ _**really know how to**_ get in trouble…" Riku mutters with a smile as the ice melts away. Not long after, the scales disappear from her skin.

'Nothing happened… I was able to control it this time…'

_*crack* _

A jolt of pain passes through her body, causing her to stagger back a few steps.

"Not…now…" Riku pants out as she fights the darkness creeping into her vision. She weakly turns her attention to the two other combatants to see Naruto plunging toward the ground. 'Naru…' Clutching her chest in pain, she turns her attention back to Sasuke. "Sasuke!"

Said boy looks up to find the source of the voice. His eyes widen when he notices Riku teetering on the edge of the branch. Regardless of her pervious recovery, a drop from that height would kill her.

"Baka. What are you -?"

Before he finishes, Riku cuts him off. "Watch Sakura ne? I need to find Naruto." The red coloration of her iris begins to fade as another wave of exhaustion surges through her body.

"Baka. You're in no shape to move around!" Sasuke makes a move toward her, but she merely takes a step back, causing her to fall off the branch.

"Tch." Sasuke reappears under her, catching her before landing on a nearby tree branch. "And as I've said before, you're in no shape to move around."

"Ahh…That… can be debated." Riku scoffs with a small smile.

"Just rest. You've done more than enough. Especially with that stunt of yours." Sasuke reasons. "That dobe's stupidity is rubbing off on you."

She sends him a smirk before it falls. "Maybe…But Naruto."

"I'll take care of him. He doesn't need you to baby him all the time anymore."

She shakes her head. "Ahh… I suppose you're right." She faces him. "And Sasuke?"

"Hn."

Her face softens. "Don't blame yourself for not being able to help us… you did everything you could… so thank you…" Riku's voice fades off as she allows her eyes to close. "You're still important to me either way…" With that, the seals on Riku's arms and legs travel back to her neck as Sasuke gazes at her unconscious form in his arms.

"Baka." Sasuke mutters before gazing down at the gaping hole in her tank top, noticing how there are no signs of her previous wound save for the blood coating her clothing and skin. "You're becoming like the dobe… no sense of self-preservation." He smirks. "Looks like I still need to take care of you."

His expression darkens. 'But I couldn't even do that just now… I just watched as he ran you through.' He grits his teeth. 'I just watched…'

He thinks back to the promise he made several years ago.

_I promise I'll protect you, so don't shut me out. I want to see your smile, not the fake ones you show to everyone else._

'I'm still too weak to protect you… it was always Itachi who kept you safe… why was it always him? He took everything away from me… I won't let him take you as well, not again.' Sasuke promises as he tightens his hold on the unconscious girl in his arms. 'I won't ever let you go. Not again. I won't lose someone else.'

* * *

><p>-Time skip: next day-<p>

~Riku's apartment~

**(First person perspective)**

"Was this what you meant Minori? That some things set in motion cannot be stopped?" I mutter to myself as I sit on the windowsill. Bandages covered my arms and torso. Most of my injuries had healed overnight, but the pain remains. I slightly adjust my position before clutching my stomach in pain.

'Adrenaline finally wore off huh…' I release a strained sigh before leaning against the window frame. 'Looks like I won't be using that chakra again until this seal breaks… man, this really, really hurts…'

Releasing another sigh, I glance through the window to see grey clouds gathering in the sky, enhancing today's depression atmosphere.

My face falls. 'Minori… you knew… you somehow knew this was going to happen, didn't you?'

'_**Yes.' **_I clench my hands._** 'Even if I told you, you couldn't have stopped it. Their fight was inevitable. The Hokage already knew he was walking to his death.'**_

'He knew…' I close my eyes. 'Then… he…'

'_**He did everything he could to protect this village. Don't let his efforts go to waste Riku. There is more to this than you know… but it's too early for you to know. You wouldn't understand.'**_

'Even if you don't tell me… I will find out. I … I don't want to be kept in the dark anymore.'

_**"Free yourself from your doubts and chain up your true self. Undo the chains to find a sleeping monster. When the time is right… you will understand everything."**_

I let out an annoyed sigh before opening my eyes. 'That again? Why can't you be straightforward for once?'

'_**Where would the fun be in that? You always do prove to be an interesting container… after all, you managed to survive my chakra…. Anyway, you better get ready. You're meeting your friends soon remember?'**_

'You're right. But this isn't over yet. You still have a lot of questions to answer.'

'_**Hm… I suppose I do.'**_

With that, Minori ends the connection, leaving me to my own devices once again. I continue to look out at the sky as I think back to my memories of Ojii-san. He would always be there for me, watching me to make sure everything was fine… protecting me.

_I care about you like you're my own granddaughter, and I hope you know this Riku._

_Things that are remembered cannot be erased and things forgotten can save as well as destroy a life._

I never did understand that warning. Does that mean I know something that can save or kill someone? Why would I?

_As long as you do not lose your will to fight for those important to you, you will surely be strong. That is the will of fire – the spirit that runs this village._

"Ojii-san…" I close my eyes. "I won't let your sacrifice go to waste… I will protect this village and the people in it… I promise you." I thought as I clench the rings in my fist. "Still… Orochimaru…you keep taking everything away from me… what are you trying to gain…" I tighten my grip. "When are you going to be satisfied…you damn snake…"

I'm not the only one who lost someone; I realize that. Many ninjas lost their lives yesterday, ninjas who had families, lovers, friends. It would be selfish to think that I was the only one suffering… the one who's suffering the most is Konohamaru… not me. But it wasn't easy to accept, a death that is. Death breeds sadness, pain, and revenge. Revenge was something I wanted, but I knew Ojii-san wouldn't have wanted that. He didn't want me to become someone that focused solely on revenge. He didn't want me to lose sight of who I was and what I still had. He didn't want me to become a true monster.

But how long will that last? How long will I fight that urge?

Minori was right the other day. I want to see others suffer, for them to endure the same pain and torture I've endured, to hurt others like they've hurt me.

I place a hand over my face.

These thoughts have been plaguing my mind once I gained some semblance of control over my element, but I would always push them back. Hide them. Make them disappear into the recesses of my mind. But they would always resurface. That is my madness… my sadism, my hate. It's a disgusting byproduct of my imprisonment – my sadism and hate were my solace, my refuge, my shield, my savior. They still cling to my mind, goading me, always trying to pull me deeper and deeper into my madness until I can never return. That is how I will end… if I can help it.

I glance over to the picture of team seven before lowering my hand.

_I … don't want you to be my shield. I don't want you to be like Haku and throw your life away for me… we're a team. We've always been there for each other, so nothing's going to change that._

'Naruto…'

_I know you can be dangerous, a baka, a sadist, a cross-dresser, and a smart-aleck, but you're our teammate… you're … no you wouldn't turn on us._

'Sakura…'

_I won't let that happen. I won't let you go this time._

'Sasuke…'

_When we found you, you were nothing short of a puppet – empty, emotionless, cruel. But now you're not. You're fighting the training Danzo gave you. I've seen it. You're not alone. You have a new family you can rely on now._

'Kaka-sensei…'

I let out a small laugh. "You four just can't let me be, can you?" I run a hand through my hair. 'Especially Sakura.'

_-Flashback- _

_"Why do you have that... that..." Sakura trails off. _

_I shake my head. "You can just say scar you know. It's not a taboo word." I respond with an eye roll. _

_"It's not just-!" She clenches her hands. "You even used a genjutsu to hide it so you can't tell me it's nothing!" _

_I gaze at her evenly. "I told you. It's a rather permanent reminder from my past. You've already heard enough to piece things together." I smirk. "I thought you could use that large head of yours to figure it out. Guess it's size is just for looks rather than function." _

_"You jerk! Be serious for once." She takes a step closer to me. "I'm worried about you alright? Can't you be a bit more serious!" Her face falls. "That isn't just a scar to you... it's a mark of your imprisonment, isn't it? I can tell it hurts you to see it... that's why you hide it right? I can't believe..." Her eyes start to water. _

_I clench my hands. "What's there not to believe. You've seen it. That's enough proof right?" I loosen my hands. "Look, it's in the past. Nothing can change it so don't make a fuss about it." _

_I walk up to her and place my hands on her shoulders. "Sasuke wouldn't want to see you with such a look. It's disgusting really." _

_She sends me a mock glare. "Jerk..." She mutters before wiping her eyes. "You always ruin the moment... but I think I understand you more." _

_I quirk an eyebrow. "Ahh really?" _

_She lets out a small laugh before nodding. "Unfortunately." I scoff. "You really know how to play with a person's emotions... but it's because you care... in your own twisted way. You do that to distract others from worrying over you. I can't believe I never noticed..." She shakes her head. "You really are a kind person." _

_I widen my eyes. _

_Sakura sends me an amused glance. "What's this? Have I stumped you?" _

_I shake my head. "That's not it. Your face is just making me sick. You better do something about it before Sasuke sees. You wouldn't want to scare him now, eh Sakura?"_

_Her face reddens. "I take that back. You're just a jerk!" _

_I smile. "Then do something about it." With that, I bolt out of the room. "You're still too easy to mess with."_

_"Come back here!" _

_-End Flashback-_

I let out a small laugh. 'Team 7 huh… that's where things changed – where I changed.' I smile sadly. 'I'll keep fighting until the end… for them.'

Slowly, I stand up from my perch before making my way to my bed to pick up the black dress I'm to wear to the funeral.

*grip*

'I won't cry because it solves nothing… but what were you planning to tell me before you died, Ojii-san?'

* * *

><p>-Time skip-<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

Riku is seen standing next to Naruto as the funeral is underway. Rows upon rows of villagers line up before the altar to place flowers to honor the dead. All the while, the rain continues to pour down, as if the heavens themselves are mourning the Hokage's death.

"Iruka-sensei. Why do people risk their lives for others?" Naruto asks as he gazes at the Hokage's picture.

"When a person dies… he disappears along with his past, present lifestyle, and future. Many people die in missions and wars. They die easily and in surprisingly simple ways. Hayate was one of them." Iruka pauses for a moment. "Those who die had dreams and goals. But everyone has something as important as those – people who are important to you. They trust and help each other. The bond between the people important to you ever since birth… and the string that binds them becomes thicker and stronger as time goes by. It's beyond reason. Those bound to you by that string will do that. Because it's important…"

"I think I understand… somewhat…" Naruto looks up at the sky. "But it's painful when someone dies." He takes Riku's hand. "Or seeing someone almost die…"

Riku glances over at Naruto sadly before squeezing his hand. She releases a sigh before glancing over at the Hokage's picture.

"He didn't die for nothing…" Riku adds.

"True." Kakashi places a hand on Riku's head before doing the same to Naruto. "He left something important in all of us. You'll find out eventually."

Naruto smiles before glancing down at Riku's hand and tightening his grip. "I think I understand… if only a little."

Riku nods in response before gazing up at the sky, noticing the sun breaking through the murky clouds. "Looks like there's a new day waiting for us…" Riku comments. 'You must be watching us… from wherever you are, aren't you Ojii-san?'

-Time skip-

"Oi Riku! Hurry up!" Naruto shouts as he waves at her several feet away. Sakura and Kakashi smile before waving at her to come. Sasuke merely stands there with a smirk on his face. Sending them a smile, Riku runs towards them – ignoring the pain – but feels someone placing a hand on her shoulder.

'Who?'

She stops and looks back only to find on one. A small breeze circles around her before disappearing as quickly as it comes. Her eyes widen.

'Ojii-san?'

"Oi Riku!" Naruto calls again.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she replies, "Coming," before joining the rest of her team.

-At the village borders-

**(Unknown perspective)**

Two figures cloaked in black and red stand on the wall marking the village's border. Both figures had on straw hats covering their faces.

*jingle*jingle*

The slight breeze causes the bell on the straw hats to jingle, but the two pay no mind.

"They were able to avoid complete destruction, but it looks like the damage was great." The figure with the wrapped sword states.

"The village that prospered like no other… has become pitiful." The other figure comments.

The taller figure glances at his partner. "That's out of character. So even a person like you has an attachment to his home village?"

"No. I don't." The figure lifts his gaze so that his blood red eyes can gaze into the village.

'What trouble have you gotten into this time… Riku.' He thought as he fingers a cracked red gem in his possession. 'You never do change…foolish girl.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So that's the chapter. Hopefully you enjoyed it and feel free to leave a review for the pairings or for clarification. The next chapter is going to feature Itachi and some explanations are going to be given to Riku. Below is the pairings so far. Until next time.<strong>

**Ja ne.~**

**{~}**

_Pairings so far:_

Riku x Naruto (2)

Sasuke x Riku x Itachi (3)

Sasuke x Riku (2)

Gaara x Riku (3)

Shikamaru x Riku x Naruto/Sasuke (1)

Gaara x Riku x Shikamaru (2)

Gaara x Riku x Sasuke (1)

Sasuke x Riku x Naruto (5)

Neji x Riku (4)

Shikamaru x Riku (3)

Itachi x Riku (2)

* * *

><p>Parallel story (?):<p>

Deidera x Riku x Sasori (1)

Itachi x Riku (2)

Pein x Riku (1)

Hidan x Riku (3)

_{~}_

_New Note: So that's the rewrite. Some changes have been made to the scenes so hopefully it's been an enjoyable chapter. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. :D Feel free to leave a comment about pairings or anything about the chapter you need clarification on. Again, I'll post the updated list on pairings when chapter 21 is released. Thanks again for taking the time to read this story. _


	20. Chapter 20: New Encounters?

-Chapter 20: New Encounters? -

**AN: I finally finished this chapter after 2 months I think? Sorry for the really long delays but I've been having issues trying to create another character that you will see in this chapter. This chapter fills in some blanks, but it's a bit slow moving so please bear with me, but at least Itachi gets some air time in this chapter. (^.^) Thanks to everyone that has read up to this point, favorite, reviewed, and/or followed this story.**

**Special thanks to lostfeather1, anon, Amazing, Brave Little Lion, Dewdthatwasrewd, and katchile94 for reviewing the last chapter.**

**lostfeather1: I'm glad you like the story. There's not much of Sasuke in this chapter, since I needed to develop Naruto's character a bit more in this story and fill in some gaps in the plot line, but Sasuke will get a wake-up call of sorts in the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait, and thanks for your input on the pairings.**

**anon: I want to thank you for pointing out the flaws in my story since this is my first time writing a fanfiction. Although your reasoning is valid, I thought it was off how Tsunade still acted cold and annoyed towards Naruto in the anime when she knew he was the son of the 4th Hokage. I'm not sure what her reasoning was at the time, but I'm basing my story on what I see and how I interpret it. I'm going to tamper with the interactions of Riku and Tsunade when they meet again and change how she treated Naruto in the anime. I don't want to give too much away, but that's my plan. As for Naruto's character, keep in mind that Naruto saw Riku as a brother of sorts at first and didn't develop any romantic feelings. When it was revealed that Riku was in fact a girl, Naruto struggled with his perception of her because at one hand she's always been the one protecting him as a 'brother' and on the other hand she's still a girl that needs to be protected. The different perceptions kept clashing in his mind and he was confused with how he felt towards Riku, so he chose to act as if everything was the same and didn't really notice how he drifted from his friend. It's an occurrence that made sense to me, so that's why Naruto is still, well the same Naruto in the anime and manga. His character is going to go through a slow change due to his realization of his feelings for Riku. Whatever those feelings are though is yet to be determined.**

**Amazing: Thanks for the input (^.^) Unfortunately, Shikamaru will not show up in this chapter, but I do have scenes planned out for him.**

**Brave Little Lion: Thanks for the review and the input on the pairings. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well.**

**Dewdthatwasrewd: I'm happy this story is different from other stories and grabbed your attention. Sorry for the late update.**

**Katchile94: Sorry for the long wait, but here's the update. Thank you for the input for the pairings. I agree that Riku would be a better fit for Naruto but I'm not really sure how that would work out. I'm more leaning towards a sibling relationship between the two, but who knows. In my opinion, it seems that Riku doesn't really understand the emotions related to love (jealously and the like) so she considers most of her close friends as siblings. Her perception will change as time progresses as she gets more exposure to them. It's a bit sad that she can see the signs between others but not herself, but that's how some people are. I do plan to have Riku attempt to keep Sasuke in the village, but as we all know, that's not going to go well.**

**{~}**

**Mini note: If anyone has any ideas they want to see or any specific relationship scenes, then feel free to message me or leave a review and I'll try to add it into the story.**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

**'**Riku's thoughts'

**'**_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations'_

***sound effects***

**Please read and review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p>'<em><strong>More and more pieces are falling to their demise, taken away into the snake's lair, but with the appearance of a new creature, what will happen? Is he a friend or a foe?'<strong>_

_**~Riku Amarante**_

* * *

><p>~Mindscape~<p>

**(Third person perspective)**

*drip*drip*

*step*

*drip*

*step*

*drip*drip*

Ignoring the incessant drips, Riku continues to trek across the water's surface as she journeys further and further through the endless darkness dominating the recesses of her mind. With each step, the water's reflection morphs into a familiar image – a street, the Amarante compound, the academy, the playground, or something of the like – only to quickly disperse into ripples before returning to its familiar watery appearance. Random images, random scenes, disembodied voices – they all play out before her, only to be halted and destroyed in a blink of an eye.

'It's like it's mocking me…' Riku thought as she runs a hand through her hair. 'Playing out things and words that don't make any sense to me…'

*clink*clang*

Riku halts in her steps and glances up, feeling droplets of water trail down her face before dripping into the water. Closing her eyes, she listens to the rattling chains before opening her eyes once again to peer down at the water.

*clink*clang*

Another droplet falls down her face before dripping of her chin and landing in the water, sending ripples across the entire surface before turning it a deep crimson.

_Stop… Just leave me alone._

Her voice echoes throughout the corridor, disturbing the once still water; despite this, Riku does nothing and merely glances down at the water.

_Why won't they leave me alone… I just want to be alone! I don't want to die!_

'Ahh… that's my voice… but not my words.' Riku thought in amusement.

_Why… why did you have to take everything away from me?_

_What did I do wrong?_

_I never wanted this… this curse. But if I have to, I will be a monster to protect everything._

A sad smile enters her face. 'Now those are my words…'

A pain-filled roar fills her ears before the image of a girl with startlingly crimson eyes appears on the surface of the water. Her hand rips through the surface, reaching higher and higher before facing palm up toward Riku.

"**Don't you want it all to end? This endless suffering." **The black-haired girl coaxes. **"To feel numb once again."**

The question causes Riku to smirk before she squats down in front of the figure.

"Are you saying I have a choice?" Riku asks in amusement before propping her elbow on her knee to rest her hand below her chin. "What if I want to suffer? What if I want to feel pain, to feel alive? What then?"

Surprise flutters across the girl's eyes before it returns back into its pleasantly deceptive smile. **"Why not let others suffer too? Make them feel your pain. You've done his before, haven't you? Don't you miss it?"**

A hollow chuckle reverberates in Riku's chest. "To hear their pitiful screams and begs. To listen to the snapping bones. To paint the area in a film of blood…" She trails off.

"**To make them suffer… to return to them the same suffering you've endured. To numb yourself to everything. To just kill. It's…" **

"A delusion – a sad, pathetic existence." Riku cuts in, causing the other girl's eyes to widen in surprise. "A pathetic existence I'm part of, but one I chose to cast aside… until I have to become that monster once again." Riku smiles down at the girl. "Not the answer you wanted, is it?"

The other girl's hand sinks lower into the water. **"But why… they hurt you!" **A snarl rips through her throat. **"They made you a tool! You… you can't even stand with those you're trying to protect. You've been tainted, so corrupted, yet you do nothing against those who harmed you?! Why?" **

Riku lets out a laugh. "What makes you think I even have a right to stand next to them? As you've said, I'm tainted through and through; I was a _failed. Little. Pet_." She bites out with bitterness before a soft smile overtakes her face. "But even so, there are people who want me to stand by them… it's so funny." Riku places a hand over her face. "It's so funny…" Riku pauses for a moment before continuing. "Don't get me wrong; I want it…I want revenge. I want it so desperately sometimes it drives me insane, but that's not my focus... not now. There's someone I want to protect… and that overrides everything else."

Shock appears on the girl's face before it hides away under a mask of indifference. **"And when they betray you?" **

Riku tilts her head to the side. "I kill." She answers simply, earning an animalistic grin in response. "I'll numb myself. I'll become a monster and I'll kill … myself."

The girl falters. **"You…"**

Smiling, Riku grips the girl's hand. "That's where you come in, isn't that right, my madness? You drag me further and further in…" Riku's hand submerges under the water as the girl pulls her further and further in. "But at the same time," Riku pauses as she rests her forehead against the rippling surface, "I'm in control and will escape with my strength..." A wry smile enters her face as the images of her friends enter her head. "Or my friends'." With that, she pulls away from the girl and stands.

"Again, this isn't the answer you're looking for." Riku smirks as she hooks her thumbs in her pockets. "But that's my answer. You're in my domain and I won't let you run rampant. I will chain you down."

The black-haired girl smirks in response before pressing her hands against the surface of the water, sparking ripples. **"You're quite amusing, my descendent. But keep in mind this… insanity knows no bounds. It eats at you and never leaves you. If you're not careful…" **The water suddenly rocks. **"You'll be swept away… like all the other lightning users who have fallen before you." **

With that, the water calms before reverting back to its normal clear appearance with no trace of the black-haired girl.

"Ahh… looks like I pissed off another person…" Riku lets out a small laugh before lowering her hands. "But it's not like I care."

Turning on her heel, she continues trekking through the darkness before the surroundings morph into stone corridors encrusted in ice.

"Another place huh…" Riku glances around for a moment before taking several steps forward, filling the corridor with the sound of splashing water. Not long after, she stops before an enormous ice-encrusted metal gate with free-hanging chains scratching softly against its surface. Paper seals pepper the surface of the bars whereas one large one rests on the seam of the gates, just within her reach. The clatter of chains and a low rumble resound from the cell. Curious, Riku takes a step forward, arm outstretched to touch the gate, only to have her surroundings quickly morph back into the familiar frozen tundra with Minori's frozen form replacing the once present prison.

"_**The seal is weakening too quickly."**_

Minori's voice resounds in the area.

Riku lowers her hand. "I can see that. This place is breaking down." She observes, taking in the melting snow. "What was that place?"

"… _**My prison. You'll soon see me for what I am. Are you afraid?"**_

Riku merely scoffs before gazing at the meager existence of the ice pillar. "I'm not afraid of you. You're a part of me… no matter how cheesy that sounds." Riku pauses to release a sigh before continuing, "Besides, I'm more afraid of what's coming. With the seal breaking down, I don't know how my memories will be affected and whether or not I want to remember anymore…"

"_**You don't want to remember?"**_

"I…" She steels herself, "I want to remember what's important to me. I want to feel like I'm not missing a part of myself." Riku states as she trails a hand through her hair. "But no matter what happens, I'll still be Riku. I'll still be me… so it can't be that bad." Riku finishes with a cheeky smile.

Minori chuckles. _**"Still the same as always. You never do learn."**_

This merely causes Riku to smirk. "Oi. I resent that." Riku states jokingly before allowing a serious expression to fall upon her face. "Ne Minori. I think it's time we drop the secrets, don't you? How did you know about the invasion and Orochimaru. There's more to this than you're letting on… isn't there?"

"_**Looks like you won't take no for an answer."**_

"Just give it to me straight. It's not like it's going to end the world or anything." Riku states with a careless shrug.

_***sigh* "You wouldn't understand."**_

*tickmark* "Try me."

"_**What happened that day was already planned before you were even born. Events happened, setting the rock in motion. As time passed, the rock continued to roll, slowly accumulating the snow until it reached the size of a boulder. It just so happened you were around to see the damage caused by the boulder. There are things that are unavoidable in nature – some things that will bring you pain… others suffering… some happiness. Life follows a certain cycle. You just so happen to be deeply imbedded in this cycle more so than others."**_

"So basically, you're telling me Orochimaru was going to go through with this invasion sooner or later no matter what happened?" Riku's face shows no signs of anger or malice, merely cold indifference.

'So I couldn't have stopped it… What kind of sick joke is this?' Riku clenches her fists but doesn't allow the emotions to show on her face.

"_**Yes. Orochimaru was to attack Konoha. It was unavoidable; this path was set before you were even born."**_

"I see…" Riku mutters, "Why do you say I'm more ingrained in this so called cycle? …If you say it's too soon for me to know, I'll break that ice myself. Screw waiting for it to melt."

A boisterous laugh rings in the air. _**"So impatient little one. But let me tell you this. If you do, you'll only hasten your meager existence. Are you still willing to?"**_

*crack*

A chunk of the ice breaks away from Riku's grip. "Oops." Riku mocks before allowing the shattered remains to flow freely from her hand. "Ahh… the ice is breaking away so easily now, don't you think?"

"_**Heh… still a little spitfire I see. *chuckle* Very well, little one. You're a piece in this so-called game called life. You already have a role assigned to you; something that's been decided since your birth. This game you're in was one played in a previous generation. That's why you're so ingrained in this… your role has already been played out… your fate has already been played out. Your demise has already been met. So what will you do? Take your ill-placed fate, or fight?" **_

"Are you _actually _asking me that question?" Riku hooks her thumbs in her pockets. "I thought you knew me enough to already know the answer. I'm hurt." She finishes in mock pain before smirking. "The answer's easy; I'll decide my ending as I see fit, Kouryuu."

"_**That name… I despise it." **_Minori chuckles. _**"But I suppose I will accept it, if it's coming from you, little one." **_

Riku lets out a small laugh. "I feel _so _honored, but why do you hate that name? Isn't it your true name?"

"_**It is, but it is not a name I favor."**_

"Ahh… Kouryuu… rain dragon… hidden genius… confinement… Those are its meanings.

Her tone softens. _**"It seems you're figuring things out on your own… I'm impressed. But when we meet again, it will be on different terms. Be careful now… Riku."**_

With that, Minori's voice fades out as the surroundings morph back into the familiar darkness, causing Riku to frown. 'I wonder what caused you to hate that name so much…'

Riku shakes her head before narrowing her eyes at the glimmer of light to her left. Silently, she creeps to the light before it takes her to a blurry scene. Black wisps obscure the two figures, but she can still make out two figures, the man that greatly resembles Sasuke and the Hokage.

"Ojii-san…" She mutters feebly before taking several steps forward. He turns to her with a sad smile, causing her breath to catch in her throat. "You…" She bites her bottom lip before running toward his form. His smile saddens more before she completely passes through him, causing her to crash unceremoniously on the ground. Shock flashes through her eyes before she clenches her hair with one of her hands. Memories of their time together flash through her eyes as she curls further and further within herself.

'That's not him… no matter how much you wish it…'

"Ojii-san…" Riku mutters sadly before releasing her grip on her hair. Sitting up slowly, she glances up to see him sending her a sad gaze.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slowly staggers up before taking several steps back. "You're… you really are gone." She mutters with a sad smile. "I can't believe I fell for it…"

'You're just a memory here… even if I want to see you again… I can't. Even if I wanted to apologize to you, to thank you for everything… I can't. I'm too late.'

Running a hand through her hair in frustration, Riku continues to gaze at the Hokage with a distraught look. 'Calm down… this isn't you. Just breathe. You have to stay strong.'

Releasing a sigh, she buries those thoughts in her mind as she attempts to grasp the scene playing out before her. Showing no acknowledgement of Riku's presence, the two continue conversing with one another, but even so, only bits and pieces are heard as the images lose focus and garble the words spoken.

"You altered her memories?" The Hokage asks. "Is it wise to hide – massa… – her ?"

"She – matter – Sasuke… but … not involved…."

The Hokage frowns. "She would accept … choice…"

"She … suffering … much…"

Riku grits her teeth in annoyance as she observes the scene before her.

'What does this all mean? Massa… massacre? Is he talking about after the Amarante clan massacre? And Sasuke… they must be talking about hiding me away from Sasuke? But why?' She takes a step forward before halting in her steps.

"Riku… protect her for me. Don't let her….. realize… truth… that I had to …. To protect … village…"

'He hid me away to protect the village… but I don't understand. Your voice… you sound so desperate.' Riku feels a tear trail down her face before a heaviness settles in her chest. 'What's this feeling?'

The man bows before he makes his way to the door.

Alarmed, Riku tries to go after him. 'Wait! Don't go! I don't know why, but you can't leave. Don't leave!'

Releasing a sigh, the Hokage sends the other figure a nod. "Consider it done. Your sacrifice…. Forgotten… Ita-"

Before the complete name can be spoken, Riku is roughly pushed out of the memory by some invisible force.

~Somewhere else in Riku's mind~

"_Sorry Riku… but it's too soon for you to know. He wouldn't have wanted you to realize it… but you do need to know, just not now." _A woman with long, cascading blue hair states as she leans against one of the walls leading to Minori's true prison. _"Itachi… Riku…when they see each other again… how will they react? I don't want to see the past repeating itself again." _The woman murmurs as she opens her eyes to reveal two pools of ice blue. _'The pieces are gathering… it won't be much longer…'_

"_The new game is finally starting." The woman mutters sadly. _

**{~}**

-Riku's room-

Riku jolts up into a seated position on her bed; arms tensed and eyes wide as she stares blankly down at her lap. Placing a trembling hand on her face, she attempts to reign in her panicked breathing. Beads of sweat trail down the side of her face as her unfocused eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. All the while, the rain continues to pelt against the windows as streaks of lightning momentarily illuminate the room before it's soon followed by the roar of thunder.

*flashes of lightning*

"What was that? Why did I feel like someone forced me out…" Riku mutters to herself as her breathing finally calms down. Her eyebrows knit together in thought. It didn't seem like it wanted to harm her; it seemed as if it wanted to just keep her away from that memory.

'That memory of Sasuke's brother… Ita…' She frowns. 'Who are you to me… I don't remember.' Lowering her hand from her face, she grips the ring hanging around her neck, bringing it close to her chest. 'Whoever you are… I will find you.' She smiles down softly. 'You've been protecting me this whole time… I don't know what happened to you or understand everything, but something tells me you're a good person.'

_*crack*_

'Wha-?' She clamps a hand over the seal, feeling it burn against her skin.

*flashes of lightning*

"Damn…. Not again…" Riku mutters out as pain envelopes her head.

_*crack*_

"_What are you doing here Orochimaru?"_

"_Can't I see the heir to the Amarante clan?"_

"_No. Why would you be interested in her?"_

_*chuckle_* "_Hm… I wonder… is she the same as her mother? A caged little bird… she's such a delicate little thing."_

"_Hold your tongue."_

"_I'm only speaking the truth. She's looks so fragile… she may just end up like her mother… a bird with clipped wings. How unfortunate."_

"_Get out!"_

_*__crack*_

_"__Why are you here?" __The image of a blue-haired girl and a boy with long brown hair with white pupil-less eyes flashed flash before her eyes. _

_"__I am to be your protector. I won't let you down, Riku-sama." The boy bows, causing the girl to frown. _

_"__I don't want you to be my protector."__ The girl deadpans before she turns away to look at the bird resting in her hands. "You're just like the others…" She trails off sadly before glancing up to see the boy taking her hands in his. _

"_That's not true Riku-sama. I'm not here as an obligation… I-I want to protect that smile of yours, because I see myself in you." He looks off to the side sadly before unraveling the bandages on his forehead. "I'm caged, just like you." _

_The girl stares blankly back before placing the bird in his hands. The bird looks at the girl in surprise before hopping over to the boy's shoulder and nuzzling against his cheek. Surprised, the boy hesitantly strokes the bird's head, causing the girl to smile. _

"_I don't want you to be my shield… Neji." She runs her fingers along the brand on his forehead. "You're more than that… so please be my friend…" She rushes in the end. _

_Neji's eyes widen in surprise before his smile softens. "Hai, Riku-sama."_

_The girl frowns before poking him in the forehead. "Riku, just Riku. You make me sound old…"_

_He shakes his head. "H-hai… Riku."_

'That was his past self. Now, it's his choice who he wants to be. Still, why does the word guardian or protector keep coming up? Does it correlate to that story?'

_*crack*_

_"__So it's agreed?"__ The image of Kaito and a blurred figure appears._

_"__I'm only doing this because she interests me… don't take it the wrong way."_

_"__Of course that's it." __Kaito chuckles before he gazes smugly at the boy. __"Good luck kid. You'll need it."_

_The figure pauses in his steps before scoffing. __"Right back at you old man."_

_'Who was he talking to? I don't… understand…'_

_*crack*_

_"__What… Do you know what you've just done!" __A masked figure shrouded in black is seen yelling at Hikari's bloodied form._

_*Cough*cough*_

_"__Now… *pant* why wouldn't I? *pant* You're too late… *pant*pant* with me gone… *pant* you won't *pant*pant*pant* get her… *pant*pant*pant* … your goal… *pant* can never be reached…"_

_"__You're lying… you're hiding it… I will find her… and when I do, no one will stop me."_

_Hikari smiles sadly. "I hope… you will stop… yourself…"_

_Silence. _

_*crack*_

*pant*pant*pant*

Riku's breath comes out in pants as the onslaught of memories cease. At the same time, the seal's crimson glow dulls until it reverts back to its normal black. Allowing her hand to fall limply to her side, she gazes at her lap as she attempts to make sense of the last memories.

'Those two memories… they…they weren't mine. I don't understand what Oto-san was talking about; who was that? As for that masked man… whoever he is… he's still out there… he's still looking for Minori… for me.' Riku thought to herself as realization dawns on her. "He's after me… but who is he?"

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity."

Riku snaps her head to the source of the voice before jumping to the end of her bed to dodge several kunai – allowing them to imbed themselves in the wall where her head was moments ago.

"But then again, insanity is how you stay sane in this insane world, isn't that right?" The voice whispers into her ear before an earth encased fist slams into her side. Her eyes widen in surprise at the power behind the hit before she rolls away, gritting her teeth in pain.

'Who is he?' She lowers her hand to her side, already feeling the bruise forming underneath her shirt. 'Whoever he is… he's strong. I have to be careful.' Activating the Bikoume, Riku wearily scans the room before tumbling and pushing herself over to the window to avoid the kunai peppering the floor.

"Too slow." The figure whispers from behind before sending a kick to her back. Noticing the shift in movement, Riku twists on the ball of her foot before crossing her arms to block the kick. Amusement shines in his eyes before a surge of wind sends her careering out of the window.

*crack* shatter*

His smile widens as he examines the picture resting beside her desk. 'So you've found a team, have you? The nine-tails brat. The Uchiha survivor. The copy-cat ninja. And a Haruno.' He lets out a small chuckle. "You have no idea what game you started kid…" He murmurs before jumping outside to land on a nearby tree branch.

Panting, Riku straightens herself as the pelting rainwater takes on a teal glow before it removes the shards of glass, all while knitting together the sliced skin.

"Who are you?" Riku calls out as she catches the shrouded man's gaze. The figure before her is covered in a black cloak, only revealing to her a white mask covering his eyes.

"Hm… wouldn't you like to know? It's no fun if I just told you." The man answers before getting into a stance. "Let's see what you can do."

Without warning, several chunks of earth are sent hurling towards her in various directions – leaving little to no openings for escape. Lightning encases Riku's hands as she quickly shatters the projectiles she was unable to dodge; however, various cuts and lacerations appear on her body despite the lack of contact from the projectiles. Her skin knits itself back together with the water pounding across her skin, but irritation flashes across her face.

'What's going on? I shouldn't be getting cut up…' Riku bites her bottom lip in thought before sliding down a frozen ramp (she created with the rain water) to avoid another onslaught of projectiles. Noticing her plan, the man sends a pillar of earth to shatter the ramp – resulting in Riku back flipping onto an ice pillar.

"Not bad." He whistles. "Looks like you're not much of a novice when it comes to controlling your element or should I say elements."

Riku sends him a calculating glance. "I can say the same to you… but who are you? Only those from my clan are able to use this ability."

He releases a small chuckle. "I'm just a simple guy," he states with a shrug before cruel smile appears on his face, "who happens to want justice." With that, he disappears from view before reappearing behind Riku's still form. "And will cut down anyone who gets in my way." He finishes as he plays with a strand of her hair before snatching the back of Riku's neck in a choking hold. Riku's silver orbs widen in surprise as she desperately attempts to claw the man's hands away from her neck.

"It all started with your birth and it will end with your death." He growls out before tightening his grip until a sickening snap is heard – causing the body slacken before hanging limply in his hand. Before a smile can fully appear on his lips, a confused expression appears on his face as he sees the once limp hands shakily gripping onto his.

'How is she still alive?' The man thought with a frown as the girl's head slowly turns around showing the face slowly chipping away to reveal shards of ice.

"A clone?" The man mutters out before the ice clone slams its head into his – slightly knocking him back – before slowly encasing his body in ice. Parts of the clone's body revert back to liquid while a layer of ice keeps the clone's shape. Riku reappears on a nearby branch as purple lightning surrounds her left hand before compacting itself into the shape of a spear.

"I don't know what type of justice you want." Riku trails off as the lighting in her hand becomes more and more unstable, "But if you want revenge for what happened to the clan and believe killing me will achieve that, you should have killed me then when you had the chance." Riku states coldly before sending the spear crashing into the ice clone. Lightning quickly encases the man's body in a flash – causing the man to take an expression of agony before a smirk appears on his face.

"Just kidding." A surge of wind dissipates the lightning and shatters the ice prison, causing Riku's eyes to widen.

'So he can control earth and wind… not a good combination.' Riku thought before biting the bottom of her lip.

He brushes away the invisible dirt off his cloak. "Is that what you believe? Man, what crap have they been feeding you kid?" He shakes his head before facing her once again. "I don't care about the past. I'm here to get my ending and you're in the way."

He vanishes from sight.

'Calm down… just sense him… any small shift…' Riku's breathing evens out before a surge of lightning escapes her from all sides, shattering the earth projectiles sent her way.

'No wind this time… so that's what happened. He coated the earth with wind to increase the range without me realizing it.' Riku muses before spinning on the ball of her foot to avoid the earth encased punch sent her way. Twisting behind him, she sends a lightning infused kick to his back, only to have a wall of wind rush at her before a harsh punch connects with her stomach – sending her careening back. Gritting her teeth, Riku bends a water whip and wraps it around a tree branch before swinging back several feet away from the figure.

The man shakes his head. "Geez, little bird. Why won't you just give up? I'd hate to ruin that face of yours… but then again, your face is disgustingly similar to that woman's. It makes me want to rip it off." He finishes sweetly before several torrents of wind slam Riku against the tree. A gasp of pain escapes her lips as the wind solidifies into spikes, digging further and further against her body before Riku poofs into a log.

"A substitute again, little bird?" He scratches the back of his head. "If you keep flying away, I'll have to rip off your wings." He turns around to catch Riku's punch. "So strong…" He smirks before throwing her down to the street. "But so slow." Riku crashes harshly to the ground, feeling the wind pushing her further and further into the rubble. Lightning encases Riku's form before an explosion occurs. Once the dust clears, Riku staggers back up, glaring at the man standing on the tree branch.

The man smirks. "Hikari, don't you think it's time we finished this game? It's been what? Thirteen years now?" He holds up one of his hands, allowing an amber glow to encase it as several black symbols wrap around his hand. In a flash, he slams Riku's throat against the ground before holding up his chakra infused hand. "Don't worry little bird. Pain will only last for an instant." He tightens his hold before a maniacal smirk enters his face. Riku's eyes flash crimson as she grips his wrist.

Before he makes contact, a chirping reaches his ears, causing him to quickly jump away as a blur of silver and blue rush at him – creating a large cloud of dust and debris where he was moments ago. The sounds of crackling lightning fade as the blue mass in the newcomer's hand disperses – revealing a large crater in the middle of the street.

The black haired man narrows his eyes as he sees several ANBU circle around him before turning his gaze back to the man before him – Konoha's Copy-cat Ninja, Hayate Kakashi.

"Tch. What horrible timing." He mumbles to himself as his gaze matches that of the copy-cat ninja. He lowers his hand, dispelling the chakra before glancing over to Riku's wary gaze. "Looks like you still don't remember anything, Hikari. Just like the others…" He smirks as confusion enters Riku's face. "Little bird… please do remember me." With that, the man sends a smirk in Kakashi's direction before disappearing with the wind.

Frowning, Kakashi sends a nod to the ANBU – signaling them to go after the man – before turning around to face Riku.

"You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Ahh… I figured that." Riku states with a sad smile before her eyes slowly close as she falls forward into the arms of her sensei.

"Looks like it's finally started." Kakashi mumbles sadly as he glances down at the girl collapsed in his arms. "It will only get worse from here out."

**{~}**

~Elsewhere~

**(Unknown perspective)**

"You really had nothing to worry about, you know." The man mutters as he wraps a bandage around his left arm. 'To think she actually landed a hit on me… that little bird.' He muses before turning to his companion. "I only wanted to pay her a little visit. She has yet to remember anything..." He trails off as he finishes bandaging his injury. "But once she realizes her role, I'll kill her before it's too late."

"I see." The other cloaked figure states. "It seems you've gotten soft. Giving her a chance to fight back? That's unlike you."

The masked man smirks. "Really?" He lets out a laugh. "I find it to be just like me… After all, where's the fun in this game if she doesn't fight back? She's still too weak, but she's stronger than her last predecessor at this age… I wonder if she'll be the one to break this monotonous game. It's grown tiring."

His partner sends him an even look. "But was it wise for you to show her your heritage?"

"She would have figured it out eventually." The man scoffs before taking off his mask, allowing his partner to see his golden eyes. His companion notices the slight shift in mood but chooses to stay silent, only matching his companion's gaze.

"Don't tell me the great Uchiha was worried about little old me." The golden-eyed man questions with a smirk.

The other man does not falter in his response as he gazes down at his companion. "You did it on purpose."

"Tch. Like you, I have to let those bastards know I'm still alive. They always did fear people who are more powerful than them, saying it's best to eliminate them – all for the sake of their so called peace. You know this best."

"As do you." The other figure replies with no hesitation.

The golden-eyed man says nothing at first as he clutches something hidden beneath his cloak. "Even so… there is still one game piece linking me to this village." He adds before locking eyes with his companion. "Her time is running out. You should know where I'm going with this." The man prompts before propping himself up to stand. "I'll leave everything else to you. I need to get the ANBU off my trail after all… good luck with your reunion." He waves back before a smirk appears on his face. "…Itachi."

"…"

The man glances back at Itachi's expressionless face before slipping the mask into place and making his way through the forest.

'Things are finally getting interesting…' The man thought as he glances down at his bandaged arm. 'All because of you… my little bird.'

**{~}**

-Time skip-

~Kakashi's apartment: Living room~

"That basically explains it…." Riku finishes with a shrug as she looks at the expressionless face of her sensei. After she had passed out, Kakashi had taken her back to his apartment, deeming hers unsafe for the time being. All through the recap, Pakkun rests in Riku's lap, sending her a comforting glance as she continues to stroke his head.

"You seem to always get yourself in a mess kid…" Pakkun comments, causing her to release a hollow laugh.

"Ahh… don't you know it."

Kakashi releases as sigh before rubbing the back of his head. "I see…" He turns to Pakkun. "Could you get the scroll I have in my room?"

"On it." Pakkun hops off of Riku's lap in search of the scroll.

Matching his gaze with Riku's, Kakashi states, "I haven't been completely honest with you, Riku." He rubs the back of his head. "When I disappeared… it was because I had matters to take care of for Hikari… your mother."

Riku lets out a sigh. "I figured. Shizuka wasn't really my mother… she just took on the role. My real mother… Hikari… she died after I was born, didn't she?"

Kakashi sends a sad look before nodding.

Riku shakes her head. "Maybe that was why that man said everything began with my birth…" Riku glances down at her hands. "A lot of people died after my birth… and like he said, it will end with my death." Riku finishes softly before an amused smile enters her face. "What a load of crap. A single death can't bring everlasting peace. Reality doesn't function on that single dimension, but maybe that's the ending he wishes for."

"It's possible…" Kakashi muses. "From what you've told me, it seems he believes your death will bring about the closure he's searching for… but what worries me is why he called you Hikari. There are definite similarities, but there's more to it than that." Kakashi rubs his chin. "There might be something sealed in your memories that connects all of this… looks like we'll just have to wait and see for now." He releases a tired sigh, earning himself one from Riku as well.

"Ahh… more waiting huh?" Riku glances up at the ceiling with her arms folded under her head. "I guess that's all we can really do…" She trails off before glancing down to her stomach to see Pakkun holding a scroll in his mouth.

He drops the scroll before resting on his stomach. "Here you go kid."

Riku sends him a curious glance before opening the scroll and reading its contents, all the while stroking the top of Pakkun's head.

As Riku reads the scroll, Kakashi gathers his own thoughts. Over the days, he's heard of sightings of suspiciously cloaked characters around the village, but he didn't think they would have any connection to Riku. It could be mere coincidence, but something in his mind was nagging at him to think otherwise.

'Jiraiya might have more information on this…' Kakashi thought as he absently rubs the back of his head. At the same time, his thoughts drift back to the cloaked figure that had attacked his student. There was something familiar about that man, but he didn't have anything concrete to connect back to him. Even so, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had met that man somewhere.

'There's something not right…. If someone is coming after Riku, why now? Her identity was revealed a while back… but the identity of her demon is still unclear. Whoever is after her couldn't possibly make a definite connection between Riku and 'Minori.'' Kakashi shakes his head. 'No, that's not it. That man specifically mentioned Hikari and a game… A game… That's a definite clue, but what game is he referring to? You had to have left something behind, Hikari… what was it? You knew someone would come after Riku, but I don't understand why? I'm missing too much information.'

*sigh* 'You always did put yourself in trouble, Hikari. Looks like I'll be the one to take care of your daughter as well.' Kakashi thought as he glances down at Riku's slightly trembling form.

Knitting together his brows in confusion, Kakashi peers over her shoulder to read the scroll in order to discover the reason for his student's behavior.

_Riku._

_If you are reading this, then my time in this world has ended. Don't blame yourself for anything that has occurred. Orochimaru was my burden to bear. When he first appeared, I already knew my days were numbered. I didn't expect to come out alive in my battle against him; I planned to take him with me. At the present, I am unsure whether or not I will be able to defeat him, but if he does survive, do not seek him out for revenge. Revenge will only make you lose sight of who are now and what you still have. If I recall, you told me you wanted to protect the people precious to you more than enacting revenge on Orochimaru. I hope that still holds true after my death. If you plan on pursuing your revenge, remember what you still have left, the people who still care about you. Don't fall prey to that urge… it is the true monster… not you._

_As for what I planned to tell you after the exams, it involves your mother and …another party. I don't know if your seal would have released this memory or not, but your mother, your real mother is Amarante Hikari. The one who you believed to be your mother was her twin, Amarante Shizuka. Shizuka never wanted to lie to you. She only tried to give you the love of a mother – something Hikari wanted to give you. Your mother possessed Minori before her death and was considered a sacrifice for this village. I cannot go into further detail unfortunately. Hopefully, you will come to learn the truth through your own means and understand the reasons that drove Hikari towards her choice._

_As of now, you are probably wondering about your demon 'Minori.' From what was recovered, your demon's true name is Kouryuu. Her true form varies in the texts. Some say she takes on the appearance of a multiple- tailed fox, while others viewed her appearance as that of a dragon. The reports were from different time periods, but that is all I was able to acquire concerning her appearance. As for what she is exactly, I am afraid I cannot answer that for certain. Some texts revealed the Kouryuu to be a tailed beast, but that cannot be, for there are only nine tailed beasts in existence. The likelihood of the Kouryuu to be a tailed beast is slim to none, but it appears to have a connection with the tailed beasts, more specifically the Kyuubi. I must warn you to be careful around Naruto. With your seal weakening, you won't have anything to prevent 'Minori's' chakra from reacting to the Kyuubi's. Though, if I recall, Hikari never had any negative instances involving the past container of the Kyuubi, but it always pays to be careful. Keep in mind that it is possible that 'Minori' could react to the other tailed beasts, but I cannot be sure. There is more to your demon than what meets the eye. Unfortunately, that is all I could uncover about her. What puzzles me the most is her relationship to the Kyuubi. There is a connection between the two. How deep that connection is and what it is… I do not know for certain._

_I suppose by now, your memories should have revealed usual scenes to you involving a young man from the Uchiha clan. I cannot disclose what had occurred. You possess that knowledge, and although I could very well tell you, it is not my place to say. Keep in mind that things remembered cannot be forgotten and they can save as well as destroy a life._

…_Unfortunately, things are about to become more dangerous for Naruto (and you) as time passes. Although I am unsure of the extent of this threat, I find it imperative that I warn you. Rumors have been circulating around about someone collecting information on the tailed beasts and those associated with them. How you play into this… I cannot say… hopefully your involvement will not occur if things go well… but with you in mind, I cannot see that happening. I know you still have many unanswered questions concerning your past, the present, and the future… But I do not have all the answers for you. The future is a very unstable thing… only you can form your own future. It won't be a simple task mind you. The path ahead is filled with countless pitfalls and obstacles but that merely makes the outcome worthwhile. This may not make sense now, but it will in time. I apologize for not being there to help you this time Riku…but like Naruto, you too have to walk on your own two feet. I can no longer hold your hand like I've done before. You've come so far and now it's time to keep growing. I trust you will make the right choice. Watch out for Konohamaru and Naruto in my absence. I know you can do this. This is goodbye Riku…_

Riku's trembling stops as she places a hand over her eyes as if attempting to erase the information she had just viewed. Kakashi sends her a sympathetic look as he places a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to console her, while Pakkun does the same to the hand resting on his head.

"I still can't accept his death…" Riku states with a sad smile. "It's funny. I always believed that death solved nothing… that it's only a sign of weakness, for the person couldn't create change and see it occur… But I know Ojii-san did everything to protect this village… he made sure that all of us could carry out his vision for change. Even so, I-I can't help but feel as if I could have prevented… no… more like how I wish I could have prevented this. Though with this… all of us… we're going to keep pushing ourselves to restore this village… for him… and for us." Riku finishes with a bright smile, causing Kakashi to let out small chuckle before patting her head. "I'm sure we will."

Riku's smile slowly falls as she voices the question plaguing her mind. "Ne Kaka-sensei… is it possible that someone else from my clan survived…? Even a small chance?"

His gaze slightly darkens at the question, but he answers nevertheless. "We found no other survivors other than you that night. You've seen the report; all bodies were accounted for. I wouldn't get my hopes up."

"But… that man, he could control earth and wind like those in my clan. There's no other explanation…" Riku trails off as she gazes at Kakashi with hopeful eyes before allowing them to dull. "Huh…I never expected to meet another member from my clan only to find him wanting to kill me. Pretty unfortunate turn of events if you ask me." She concludes as she plays with a strand of her hair.

He releases a sigh as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Let's say there's the off chance that he is a member of your clan… what would you do with that information? From what we saw today, he's not exactly an ally."

"… I want to find him. I want to know how he is still alive today. But I guess it's more the fact that… I want to believe that I'm not the last of my clan… that my existence in the clan didn't kill everyone. Who knows, if one person survived, then maybe others did too, regardless of what the reports say."

Kakashi can't help but look at his student in sympathy. After believing her existence was the reason for the eradication of her clan for most of her life, she finds someone that could possibly be another survivor. She hated the solitude and the pain the incident brought her, the pain of living she had to endure with the guilt constantly gnawing at her insides, slowly stealing away more and more of her sanity. It seemed as if the appearance of the man brought some alleviation to her pain, yet at the same time, he acted as a reminder to what caused her pain in the first place. That man was a double-edged sword. Even if he was from the same clan, why does he appear now? Why did her want to kill Riku now when he had better chances of doing so in the past? What was this 'justice' he wanted to achieve? The questions and complexities of the situation begin to swim in Kakashi's head, causing him to release a sigh before gazing back at his student. Her eyes were no longer hopeful as they were several seconds ago as they were cold and disconnected from the rest of the world, causing Kakashi to furrow his brows in confusion.

"Kaka-sensei…" Riku trails off as she allows the strand of hair to slip away from her fingers, "I won't go looking for him if you answer something for me."

The words causes Kakashi's gaze to harden. 'This isn't like her… she's not one to be overly compliant…'

"Tell me about oka-san…"

Pakkun looks up at Riku with wide eyes. "You sure about that kid?"

Riku smiles down sadly. "If things keep pointing back to a single person, wouldn't you be curious too?"

He shrugs. "True… but what if it's painful to hear? What then?"

She rubs the top of Pakkun's head, allowing the scroll to clatter to the ground. "Then I suck it up and take it."

Pakkun shakes his head.

"So Kaka-sensei?"

He releases a sigh as he rubs the back of his head. "There are things even I don't know…" He breaks off before facing Riku once again. "Most of the records of her mysteriously vanished after her death …possibly in an attempt to make it seem like Shizuka was always the matriarch for some reason … but I do remember her…" He trails off as he rubs his chin. "She was a kind, beautiful woman who always placed others before herself, but she did have a bit of a temper on some occasions. She never really gave straight answers now that I think of it. You're very similar to her," He states with an eye smile before continuing, "She would always spend as much time with my genin team as she could. Whenever she was around, we would always end up laughing… I think she had something similar to a sibling relationship with my sensei and that was why she was around so much, but that's a story for another time…Once the war ended, she would try to spend as much time with me as possible. At first, I thought it was annoying and merely pushed her away. But she was persistent… eventually she had enough of my 'moping' and dragged me into a spar with her to see reason. Not one of the best moments of my life…" Kakashi states with a small chuckle before continuing, "I suppose after that, I started seeing things a bit differently. After some time, I starting seeing Shizuka, her twin, always trailing behind her – as if waiting for something or someone to attack them. When I questioned Hikari about it, she told me that it was merely Shizuka's nerves. Looking back, I wonder if things may have been different if I paid more attention..." He trails off as he looks down. "Anyway, Hikari was the matriarch of her clan and the container of a demon. We don't know what connection her demon had to the tailed beasts…she was the only one who possessed that information that I know of. As time passed she left warnings for my sensei and me at random times. To be honest, they never made much sense to either of us, but it felt as if she wanted to tell us more, but couldn't. Eventually, we noticed changes in her behavior. She would always disappear for days. No one from the village or clan knew where she went, but even so, I felt as if my sensei knew. He would always be on edge during her absences."

Riku lowers her gaze before whispering, "…How did she die?"

A solemn expression enters his face as he tries to find an answer. "… We don't know what really happened to her. Months before the Kyuubi attacked the village, there was an earthquake around the Amarante compound. When ANBU arrived, they discovered a large crater and rubble. There were signs of a fight, but they only found Hikari's corpse and Shizuka and Kaito mourning with you in their arms. I don't think anyone knows what really occurred that day, except possibly your father, aunt, and the Hokage. They could have passed along that knowledge to someone else, but it doesn't seem likely."

"Ahh…from what you told me, it sounds like you really cared for her." Riku states with a small smile.

"I did. She… I guess she was one of the people who changed me. You remember the story I told you before about how I was when I was your age?"

Riku laughs. "Ahh… you were basically just like Sasuke was in the beginning? Cocky, arrogant, had no respect for his teammates… but that changed because of certain events right?"

His eyes become downcast as he ponders the question. "I suppose it did. Experience changes people. But enough about that; that's all in the past." He finishes as his eye locks onto Riku's face. "From here on out, make sure someone is with you at all times, if not then make sure you're in an area with witnesses. Even though we don't know much about what happened today, we cannot afford you to be careless and get into a similar situation as today. I'm not asking you as a squad leader to do this, I am asking you as a friend to be careful." He finishes with an eye smile. "You're important to me as with Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura. You're one of the few important people I have left; I'm not going to let anything happen to you. We'll get to the bottom of this." He adds as he rubs Riku's head affectionately. "Get some rest. I'll take the couch so you can take the bed." Before Kakashi leaves, he finds a pair of arms encircled around his waist – catching him slightly off guard before he relaxes.

"Arigato… for everything Kaka-sensei." Riku murmurs softly, but he still catches it, causing his gaze to visibly soften before hardening as a thought crosses his mind.

'Those past warnings are starting to make sense now… Hikari…' Kakashi thought as he glances down at Riku. 'But how did you know about this…? How were you able to predict this far ahead?'

Pakkun gazes at the two with mournful eyes. 'It seems things are finally being set in motion… I hope things don't repeat this time around. I don't think we can take another loss like that again…' He jumps off the couch before heading to the bedroom. 'You still left out a lot of information Kakashi… I hope you know what you're doing…'

**{~}**

-Time skip-

~Training Grounds~

"Are you… sure about this Riku?" Naruto asks hesitantly as he gazes at his blindfolded friend. "How are you going to fight me when you can't see?"

"Ahh… not sure." Riku tilts her head to the side as if she were thinking, "Guess I'll figure that out when we cross that bridge. So what are you waiting for? Come at me." Riku finishes as she gets into a stance. "Just think of it as your chance to get back at me for all those pranks."

A grin spreads across Naruto's face. "Alright, you asked for it!"

With that, Naruto charges at Riku before crouching down to deliver a sliding kick. Noticing the shift in water particles, Riku backflips before placing her hand on the ground to deliver a kick to what she assumed to be Naruto's face. Before the kick connects, Naruto ducks and aims a punch to Riku's stomach. Noticing the shift in movement, Riku twists her body so that she could land a kick above Naruto's body. Eyes wide, Naruto quickly jumps out of the way as the kick connects with the ground, creating a medium sized crater in its wake.

*crack*rumble*rumble*crack*

*gulp* 'That could have been me.' Naruto thought as his eyes widen. 'I still can't get over her strength. One hit and I'm dead.' He shakes his head. '… I really need to stop acting like a baka around her…'

Riku straightens up before removing the blindfold. "You've gotten better. You're starting to notice when to attack and when to pull out instead of running headfirst into everything."

"Of course!" Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I have to grow stronger so I can become Hokage one day." He finishes before puffing out his chest, causing Riku to let out a smile.

"Ahh… That you do, Future Hokage." Riku finishes with a two-fingered salute. "Why don't we kick things up a notch? Use the shadow clone jutsu to help you land a hit on me, seeing as you need to work on precision." Riku reties the blindfold around her eyes before she releases a smile. "But I won't go easy on you. Anything goes this time around, so no holding back ne?"

"You sure about that? Why don't you take your blindfold off?" Naruto asks as he scrunches up his face.

Riku relaxes her shoulder slightly. "Positive. As for why I have this blindfold… it's to make sure I don't become too dependent on my sight… Last night, I couldn't even see that man's movements… it was like he was the wind. It's a high-level skill for wind users and as I am right now, I can't react to it… so I need to learn to use my other senses to compensate."

Naruto's face falls as he recalls Kakashi telling the rest of team seven what happened last night.

_-Flashback-_

"_So someone attacked her in the middle of the night?" Sakura clarifies, earning a nod from Kakashi. _

"_That's right. It seems the assailant casted a genjustu around the perimeter to hide the fight, probably to prevent anyone else from interfering." Kakashi explains as he crosses his arms. _

"_I can't believe this…" Sakura places a hand over her face. 'First Orochimaru, now this? What exactly is going on? Why do you keep getting targeting, Riku? Is there something else you've been hiding from us?' _

_Naruto clenches his hand as a frown overtakes his face. 'I was there…' He tightens his grip. 'I was just next door and I never realized it… I never noticed… I wasn't there to protect you. I can't keep being like this! I have to get stronger to protect you. You were always there for me… and when you needed me, I wasn't there…' _

"_The incident has already been reported and ANBU are already tracking down the assailant." Kakashi adds, "Regardless, that man attacked someone on this team, and as a team, we protect our own. Understood?" _

_Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke send Kakashi a nod. _

"_Hn. That girl always gets herself in trouble." Sasuke remarks with a smirk. "Looks like we can't be careless."_

"_We won't let him get anywhere near her, believe it." _

"_We'll protect her this time." Sakura agrees. _

_-End Flashback-_

Naruto slightly smiles at the memory before it turns into a frown. 'If Kakashi-sensei didn't show up, what would have happened…?' Naruto thought sadly before shaking his head. 'Don't think of that. I just have to get stronger. I have to get stronger to protect her. There's no way in hell I'm going to let him come anywhere near Riku again.'

Showing renewed excitement, Naruto forms the hand sign for his favorite jutsu. "Heh. Don't complain if I end up beating you."

"Ahh… wouldn't dream of it." With that, a horde of Naruto clones charges at Riku as a smirk adorns her face.

**{~}**

~Several hours later~

Riku and Naruto are lying on their backs watching the clouds float by. Kunai, shuriken, craters, and senbon needles litter the training ground but the two pay no mind. Minor scratches, cuts, and bruises mar their bodies, but a look of satisfaction is seen on both their faces.

"Looks like…" Naruto trails off.

"I win." They both finish, causing the genin and chunin to send a glare to the other before bursting into laughter.

"Looks like a draw ne?" Riku mutters out as she turns back to the clouds

"Nah, I still say I had you beat." Naruto concludes as he brings his arms under his head. An amused smirk enters her face.

"If you say so~" She sings, earning a pout from Naruto. "I didn't get kicked across the training ground."

Naruto releases a snort. "You could have held back a little… I don't think you needed to send me through a tree."

Riku lets out a laugh. "I did say no holding back right?"

Naruto lets out a small laugh. "Huh… I guess you did. Wait, aren't you supposed to be at the ceremony since you're a chunin now?"

Riku glances at Naruto, noticing the sadness in his voice. "Nah. I'm not one for formalities. Besides, I'd rather spend time with you like this. It feels like we haven't done this in a long time." Riku trails off as she switches her gaze back to the clouds while folding her arms under her head.

Naruto glances over at Riku to see some emotion stirring in her silver orbs. After all the years they've spent together, Naruto still felt as though he knew almost nothing about Riku. Sure, they had spent almost every minute with each other, but there were times where he felt as though Riku wasn't actually there. Her mind would wander and pain would take over her eyes. At first, it was subtle, but it eventually grew to a point where he felt he had to do something in order to get some response from his friend. It wasn't until recently that he finally learned who his friend really was. He saw her weaknesses and her fears… everything that she was trying to hide from him. When he saw her trapped by Gaara, when he heard her scream… he didn't know what took over him. He was furious. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to keep that promise… that promise of a lifetime…

'You were always there for me and even though I don't really understand you all the time… you're one of the most important people in my life.' His heart rate quickens as he continues to gaze at Riku, causing his eyes to widen. 'What's going on?' He turns his face away. 'It's just like when I'm around Sakura-chan… I… I can't like Riku like that right? We're just friends… but why do I feel like this?' He peeks over at Riku, feeling a blush form on his face. 'You have to be kidding me! I'm crushing on Riku too?!' He suddenly sits up, staring down at his lap in disbelief.

'No. No. This can't be happening!' He grips his head before shaking it from side to side. 'I like Sakura-chan… but Riku…' He takes several calming breaths before lowering his hands. 'She's always been there for me no matter what… even when she was a guy. Man, thinking about that feels so weird now…' He shakes his head. 'What else… She's a great cook… has a great smile… is strong… knows how to joke around … and I just want her to smile. I-I just really want to see her smile… maybe… I do like her that way…'

"Naru?"

At the sound of his name, he turns to see Riku's face abnormally close to his, causing a blush to form on his face.

"R-riku?" He stutters before scrambling back several inches, causing Riku to tilt her head in confusion.

"Ahh… are you alright? You seemed… distracted?" Riku remarks, not noticing the blush on Naruto's face.

"Huh..?" He shakes his head before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "It's nothing to worry about. Just hungry. Hey, do you want to get ramen? Just the two of us?"

Before Riku can reply, she sees a dust cloud quickly approaching them. Not believing her eyes, she squints only to see Anko angrily charging up to her.

"GGGGAAAAKKKIII!"

"Looks like I have to take a rain check on that…" Riku mumbles as she sees her sensei quickly approaching her. "I'd better –oof"

Before Riku could take another step, her wrist weights suddenly increase, causing her to unceremoniously slam face-first into the ground.

*crash*

"Eh? Riku?!" Naruto makes a move to help her up only to be shoved to the side by an enraged Anko. "Gah!"

"Oi Gaki! This isn't time for you to take a nap. Get up!" Anko lifts Riku up to stand before shaking her shoulders. "Where the hell were you? You made me stand there like an idiot waiting for you!"

"Like you're not one already…" Riku mumbles to herself before breaking Anko's hold on her. "I've been training. With everything that's happened, what sense is there to waste time on a celebration for me making it to chunin? We're supposed to be spending time rebuilding this village, not pretend nothing's happened and go with the flow."

Anko smirks before placing her hands on her hips. "Heh. Looks like we both agree on something gaki."

"Eh?" Naruto looks confused as the two females before him begin to share a small laugh.

"Ahh… must be orders then?" Riku questions as she crosses her arms. "You'd think they would do this once they solve the most important issue."

"Who knows what those shriveled prunes are thinking." Anko waves dismissively before returning the weights to normal. "But that's not what I'm here for." Noticing the unusual seriousness of her voice, Riku turns to Naruto to tell him to leave without her. He hesitantly agrees and promises to find her later today. Once Naruto is out of ear-shot, Riku turns back to Anko. "So what's the real reason you're here? You're not stupid enough to degrade yourself to a simple messenger."

"As blunt as always. I've trained you well." Anko smirks before continuing. "Now, I'm not into the politics of this village, but apparently the elders have been taking an interest in you. You know what that means right?"

"They want a scapegoat, or they're planning something… neither sounds good." Riku sighs out. "Today just isn't my day." Riku shakes her head before looking at Anko. "So if you're not here as a messenger, why waste time on a mere chunin?"

"Huh. Well, I wouldn't want my prized student to end up dead in a ditch somewhere."

Riku quirks a brow. "So you're worried."

"What makes you say that gaki?" Anko asks with a pleasant smile, setting off several alarms in Riku.

"Don't go soft on me now. That just isn't you psycho-sensei." Riku states with a shrug before throwing several senbon behind her. Sounds of clashing metal reverberate behind her as she slightly turns to see a shadow clone of her sensei.

"Looks like you've finally guarded your back gaki." The clone states before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Ahh well, you learn a thing or two when someone tries to snap your neck from behind." Riku comments with a shrug before matching her gaze with Anko's. "Are you done with your game?

Anko looks on in amusement. "What wrong gaki? I thought you liked games? After all, games–"

"…are how you stay sane in this world. I know. I've heard it before." Riku cuts in before Anko finishes. "Treat life as a game so you won't form attachments. If a piece is lost, you just have to replace it. That's all there is to it right? Protect the main pieces but throw away the ones that can easily be replaced and manipulated. That's how life is to most people… that's how you saw life to keep yourself sane. How I stayed sane as well." Riku gazes over to the side. "Ne sensei? Have you ever thought about stopping that thought process? That maybe, one day we won't have to rely on it?"

Anko's eyes widen in surprise before confusion overtakes them. "Huh… you're sounding more like an deluded optimist. But I've never thought that far ahead… surprising someone as you would think about stuff like that. If I had to answer, I'd say no. Sure, it's true treating life as a game is dangerous, almost suicidal. But you learn there are times where you have to, regardless of everything else." Anko frowns. "What brought this on? You haven't been spending time with Ibiki have you? These thoughts are more up his alley if you know what I mean."

"That obvious huh?" Riku laughs. "It's an interesting thought to think about. But, I know it's a pretty far-reaching ideal. After all, as a realist, I mustn't get deluded by fantasies."

"Huh… realist my ass." Anko snips. "You're still deluded in that little head of yours gaki, especially with that Naruto kid. Still stuck on that lame obligation you forced on yourself?" Anko pokes Riku's forehead several times. "You're losing your touch g-a-k-i. Listen and listen well. First, you're my student so be proud of that. Second, don't take crap from anyone else. Third," Anko sends Riku a soft smile. "Live out your own dream regardless of what anyone says. Got that?"

Riku stares blankly at her sensei before letting out a laugh. "Heh… I got it, psycho-sensei. But there will be a time where I will have to forgo that to make sure Naruto gets his ending."

*sigh* "I don't understand why you would go so far for that kid. Even that Gaara kid too…"

"Because unlike you, I actually have friends." Riku answers sweetly, causing a tickmark to appear on Anko's head.

"Tch. As much as I enjoy this gaki, I actually have something important to do, so I'll cut this short. Don't go dying on me." As the final words leave Anko's lips, she disappears in a whirlwind of leaves.

"How typical… she always needs to have the last word." Riku shakes her head as she walks to Ichiraku Ramen to meet up with Naruto.

When she arrives, she sees Jiraiya casually leaning against the wall waving at her. Confused, she walks over.

"Didn't expect to see you here…" She glances around. "Where's Naruto?"

"He's packing for a trip. I'm taking him along to search for Tsunade and I was wondering if you wanted to come as well. After all, she might listen more if she sees her favorite student." Jiraiya finishes with a wink.

"There's more to this, isn't there?"

"As sharp as always." Jiraiya comments before his face becomes serious. "I heard about what happened from Kakashi. It would be in your best interest to leave this village for some time. Get some time to clear your head and who knows, maybe Tsunade might shed some light on your questions. She did spend the most time with Hikari after all."

Riku ponders about it for a second before agreeing. What she didn't notice is the pair of crimson eyes watching her from a distance.

* * *

><p>-Time skip-<p>

**(Unknown perspective)**

Two figures covered in a black cloak with red clouds stand on a rocky ledge.

"Perhaps you can fight him evenly, but I cannot. He's too strong." The taller figure with the sword strapped on his back states.

"Yes. If we both fought him, we would both be killed…or in a good case, we might kill him, but we die along with him. Even if we had more men, that result would not change." The other figure comments.

"His caretaker is a legendary Sannin. Konoha's Uchiha clan and the Mist's Seven Swordsmen seem petty before his name." The figure with the sword adds.

"Yes… but all strong opponents have a weakness." The other figure concludes as he gazes at the blue-haired girl smiling at her traveling companions.

"What do we do with the girl traveling with them? There's something off about her."

"If she doesn't interfere, nothing. We don't need any unnecessary fights."

"Too bad. I wanted to find out what she can do. Wouldn't it be lucky if she turns out to be what we were also assigned to find?"

The figure with the crimson eyes says nothing as he continues to observe the girl. 'Foolish girl… you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into...'

* * *

><p>-Lodging Town~<p>

**(First person perspective)**

Once we enter the area, Naruto and I send confused glances around us. The town didn't seem to be … child friendly. Jiraiya doesn't appear to be perturbed and takes everything in stride as he leads us to an inn with a flipping lantern and beaded ropes at its entrance. Naruto and I both stop and look at the flipping lantern, seeing a happy face before it flips over to reveal an angry one.

"Naruto. Riku."

We both turn to face Jiraiya.

"We're going to stay here today."

"I can still walk." Naruto comments but heads toward him. I follow behind.

"An apprentice must follow his teacher's orders." Jiraiya replies.

"I want to learn a new technique." Naruto voices out.

"And that's what makes you my apprentice." Jiraiya comments with his arms crossed.

The serious mood quickly drops as a beautiful woman stops at the entrance of the inn, flipping her hair and making gestures that cause Naruto and Jiraiya to degrade into hormonal animals.

"Men…" I mutter to myself as I shake my head before looking over to Naruto to see his dumbstruck expression and two room keys in his hand.

'Wait… what? Where's Jirai… oh' I turn to the entrance to see Jiraiya putting his arm around the girl's shoulders and walking away.

*sigh* 'I should have expected that…'

**{~}**

-Time skip-

~Hotel room~

"Whenever I'm with Ero-Sannin, it always turns out like this." Naruto mutters out angrily as he molds his chakra.

Naruto and I sit back to back on one of the beds in the room. The room is fairly large, but that didn't exactly cheer either of us up.

"Is he even serious about supervising my training?" Naruto continues.

"Well… he wouldn't have asked us to come if he wasn't." I trail off. "But knowing him, this is going to happen a lot."

We both look at each other before releasing a sigh.

"Chakra molding?" Naruto mutters out.

"Chakra molding." I answer with another sigh.

**{~}**

~Several minutes later~

**(Third person perspective)**

Riku opens her silver orbs to see the room littered with sleeping Naruto clones.

'Well… wasn't that productive…' Riku thought sarcastically as she scans the room.

"Hey, why are you all asleep?" Naruto questions as he looks around the room.

None of them reply. Releasing another sigh, Naruto releases the jutsu, dispelling all the clones.

"Anything you want to do?" Riku asks Naruto as she leans against his back and tilts her head so she could get a clear view of his face, not noticing the faint blush dusting his face.

"What about-"

*knock*knock*knock*

Both glance at the door before hearing two more knocks.

"What? He's already been dumped and decided to come back?" Naruto mutters as he looks at the door.

"I wouldn't really be surprised." Riku states with a shrug before standing up to stretch.

*knock*knock*

"Okay. I'm coming." Naruto calls out as he goes to unlock the door.

When Naruto opens the door, a tall blue-skinned man who held the likeness to a shark appears. On his back is a large sword covered in bandages, but what stood out to the occupants in the room is the slashed Mist headband worn on his forehead and the black cloak with red clouds.

"To think that this little boy has the Nine-Tails within him..." He states with a smirk as he glances down at Naruto.

Naruto's eyes widen in surprise before he glances back at Riku to find her missing.

"Oi. Girlie."

The man's voice brings Naruto's attention back to the front, where he sees Riku standing protectively in front of him. He notices the slight twitch in Riku's eye from the man's comment.

"We only want the kid here. If you interfere, you'll regret it."

Riku makes a move to retort, only to have Naruto cover her mouth. Alarmed, Riku sends him a confused look before he releases his hold on her.

"You're not involved in this… so don't." Naruto mutters sadly before turning to the man once again. "I'll go with you… as long as you don't involve her."

"Naruto…"

"Let's go outside." Another voice states, startling Riku.

'I know that voice…' Riku walks out of the room with Naruto, but freezes once she sees the other man's face. The moment her eyes meet the man's crimson orbs, she collapses onto her knees – gripping the seal on her neck in an attempt to lessen the pain but it merely worsens.

*gasp* 'Why now? What's going on?!'

"Riku!" Naruto makes a move toward her, only to have a sword block his way.

"It would be annoying if he moved around too much. Perhaps we should cut off a leg or two." The shark man states as he eyes Naruto. "As for the girl… looks like she won't be a problem."

The other figure doesn't say anything, merely closing his eyes.

Riku weakly glances up. 'Naruto… I have to…ugh..!' She collapses onto her forearms. 'Get up! Damn it, get up already!'

"I'll take that as a yes." The blue-skinned man adds.

Riku's eyes widen as she desperately glances over to Naruto's frozen form. 'I don't care if I lose myself…Numb myself… anything.' She clenches her teeth. 'Just get up!'

The man grips the sword on his back before quickly slamming it downward. The sickening sound of crunching flesh and sloshing blood quickly follow, echoing against the walls as blood spatters paint them crimson. Grinning, the man easily rests the sword against his shoulder as he watches the body hunch on the group, gripping its side to stunt the bleeding.

"Riku!" Naruto rushes over and cradles her body in his arms, ignoring the blood seeping onto his clothes.

Riku's shallow breaths are her only response. 'Looks like chakra infused weapons can still cut through the material… good to know…'

"What the hell were you thinking? You're not involved in this, so why did you interfere?" Naruto growls out angrily.

An amused chuckle escapes Riku's lips, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in surprise. "Not involved… you're _**funny**_." She places a hand over her face as more chuckles rack her body. "_**I want to see it…**_ _**I want it… so much. It hurts." **_Riku glances up at him with a sadistic smile, showing him her mismatched slit eyes.

"Riku…" Naruto trails off. 'This isn't good… she's starting to lose it! If I don't stop her, who knows what will happen.'

"Riku, snap out of it. This isn't the time for this! This isn't you." Naruto embraces her, hoping his words will reach her. She smiles. _**"But this is me. I want him to suffer…so let me go. I don't want to hurt you too."**_

The blue-skinned man smirks down at the two. "As touching as this is, you're in the way." He states with a smirk before swinging his sword downwards once again. Naruto's grip on Riku tightens as he braces himself for the impact, but Riku only smirks.

*crack*crunch*creek*

'What? It doesn't hurt?' Naruto turns his head to see the man's sword being blocked by crimson colored shards. Confused, his eyes trail down to the source to see them coming from the gash Riku had sustained from the first slash. The blood splattered on the wall had reverted into spikes that formed several cuts on the man's face. With a deranged laugh, Riku breaks off the crystalized blood attached to her body before staggering back several steps as she grips the left side of her face. _**"Still standing… still bleeding… When will the last pieces fall." **_She sings before Naruto pulls her away.

"We need to get out of here and get Ero-sannin." Naruto whispers as he drags the girl away from the two figures. "Riku, please wake up…"

Noticing their escape, the shark man makes a move to lift his sword, only to find it locked in place by the crimson prison.

"What an interesting girl." The man mutters before the crystals shatter with a surge of chakra from his sword. "Looks like she might be our other target after all… her chakra is very similar…" He trails off as he notices his partner moving toward the pair.

"Kisame. I'll handle her. Don't let anyone interfere."

"Tch. You always get to have all the fun, Itachi." Kisame mutters as he turns his attention back on Naruto.

*poof*

A Kisame clone appears in front of the two, halting their steps. "I wouldn't take another step if I were you, unless you want to lose an arm or leg."

Naruto swallows nervously before standing protectively before Riku's still form, noticing the blank look on her face. 'The longer she's like this, the harder it will be to get her out of it…' He tightens his hold on her hand. 'No matter what, I'll get you back. I'll protect you somehow…' Beads of sweat trail down his face. 'But, what can I do? How do I stop them? These guys aren't chumps…'

As Itachi closes the distance between Riku and him, he notices the gem on her necklace frantically blinking between red and yellow, alerting him of the seal's final stages of decomposition. His gaze shifts to her neck as he observes an additional layer to his seal. 'So that's what happened… that snake…I didn't expect him to go this far…'

Pulling out of Naruto's grip, she turns to face Itachi.

"_**I..t..a..chi**_….Itachi-nii." Riku mutters before she grips her head in pain. "I remember you…"

*crack*

The gem splits cleanly down the middle.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That's the end of this chapter. (^.^) Although some of Riku's questions are answered, more questions have appeared. Hopefully this chapter has been interesting and if you would like to add any input, ideas, or just want to ramble, leave a review. As for the pairings, they are still ongoing so let me know what you think about them as well. Until next time.<strong>

**Ja ne.~**

_{~}_

_Pairings so far:_

Riku x Naruto (2)

Sasuke x Riku x Itachi (4)

Sasuke x Riku (2)

Gaara x Riku (3)

Shikamaru x Riku x Naruto/Sasuke (1)

Gaara x Riku x Shikamaru (2)

Gaara x Riku x Sasuke (1)

Sasuke x Riku x Naruto (6)

Neji x Riku (4)

Shikamaru x Riku (6)

Itachi x Riku (2)

Parallel story (?):

Deidera x Riku x Sasori (1)

Itachi x Riku (2)

Pein x Riku (1)

Hidan x Riku (3)

_{~}_

_New Note: So that finishes the rewrites, meaning the next chapter will have the updated pairings and everything. Thank you for being patient with the rewrites; I really appreciate it. This chapter was a bit difficult to rewrite, but I hope it all works out. This time around I tried to develop Naruto's and Kakashi's character more, so I hope that works out. I appreciate the reviews people posted for the last chapter and they will be addressed in the next chapter. If there are any comments or concerns, feel free to leave a message or review. _


	21. Chapter 21: A Waking Nightmare

Chapter 21: A Waking Nightmare

**AN: Here's the next chapter. I didn't want to clutter a lot in the top of this page, so all the review responses will be at the end and I do mean all of the review responses. I really shouldn't have put them off, but I can't help it now. Anyway, onward to the chapter.**

**{~}**

**Mini note: If anyone has any ideas they want to see or any specific relationship scenes, then feel free to message me or leave a review and I'll try to add it into the story.**

**Other notes:**

"Speaking out loud"

**'**Riku's thoughts'

**'**_**Minori's thoughts'**_

_flashbacks_

'_flashback conversations'_

***sound effects***

**Thanks for reading and please review. (^.^) Enjoy. ~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters except my OC Riku Amarante. Only Riku's quote belongs to me.**

* * *

><p>'<em>I knew it was you the moment I saw you, yet you tell me these things that don't make sense. You hurt those close to me, betray me, and even cast doubt on my most important person. What game are you playing with me? Or is this a reality I've been hiding from?'<em>

_-Riku Amarante_

* * *

><p><strong>(Third person perspective)<strong>

*CRACK*

"_Don't let her get away!" _

'… _why do they keep coming?' Riku thought frantically before skidding around a turn into an alleyway. The rainwater was pounding heavily and the sound of sloshing water was growing louder and louder each passing second. She was drenched to the bone, but that didn't matter; she just had to escape. _

_She chanced a glance back only to crash into a wall of sorts before feeling a pair of arms steadying her so she wouldn't fall over._

'_Since when did walls grow arms?' _

"_What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time Riku?" The voice murmured as a hand brushed away the wet bangs framing her face. She slowly opened her eyes to see Itachi crouched down before her with a concerned look covering his face. _

_Before she could reply, several pairs of footsteps stopped behind her before a gruff voice called out, "So you've caught her. Hand her over and we'll let you go."_

_Itachi doesn't respond immediately and continued to comfort Riku before standing up and blocking her sight. "I refuse." _

_*crack*_

_*Splash*splash*splash* _

_A small blue-haired child could be seen running through the darkened alleyways of the water sector, splashing through the puddles produced by the thawing snow. She didn't appear to have any destination in mind, for she was merely running blindly in an attempt to erase the hateful words coming from the other clan members. _

"_Monster… if __she__ couldn't handle the burden, how can a mere child fare any better?"_

"_She can't control it. It's only a matter of time before she turns on us." _

"_She's a poison… she will taint this clan."_

"_A sacrifice well wasted… What was she thinking putting our survival in the hands of an unstable weapon?"_

"_A weapon. That's all you are." _

"_I don't understand… I'm not… I'm not a weapon… I'm not a monster…" The girl cries out in frustration. "I'm... just me…" She trails off as the voices continue to grow in her head. _

"_Demon."_

"_Monster."_

"_Death is all that awaits her… Kaito-sama… you know what will happen, so why not kill her?"_

_The words from the meeting flash through her mind as she slows her steps until she stood before the lake of the water sector. It was a place of peace for her, the only place where she had fond memories of – of the times she spent with Naruto laughing and playing around, of the times she spent with Shikamaru watching the clouds and napping, of the times Sasuke would show her the results of his training and his truly caring nature, of the times Itachi comforted her and made her feel as though she wasn't a tool but a human being that was loved by others, of the times Neji had saved her from the other children in the clan and showed her the warmth buried deep within his scarred heart. The leaves in the nearby trees sway in synch with the gentle breeze caressing her face – telling her to bask in the peaceful atmosphere. _

'_Why now… when everything was finally getting better…' Riku trails off in thought as she gazes at the dormant moon lilies bordering the shores of the lake before gazing up to see the moon hidden beneath wisps of clouds._

"_Riku." A familiar voice calls out to her as she feels a hand comb through one of her pigtails. Letting out a sigh to calm her nerves, she slowly turns around before softly murmuring out a name. _

"_Itachi-nii…" _

"_Why are you out here by yourself?" He question softly as he crouches down in front of the girl before him. Riku attempts to avoid his gaze before biting her bottom lip and sending him a small smile. _

"_I wanted to see the flowers here… the moon lilies only bloom under the moonlight…" She finishes softly before sending him another small smile with her eyes closed. _

"_Riku?" _

"_Ahh?" Riku mutters out confused before opening her eyes to see Itachi poke her on the forehead. _

"_Don't lie to me." He adds before softly brushing the bangs shadowing her face. "Don't pretend to be fine when you're not. Not around me. I didn't save you that day to see you like this."_

_Riku nods before glancing away to the dormant lilies, wondering whether or not she should tell Itachi about what she heard. _

'_The counsel… they want to kill me… I don't understand. I know I'm different… but why do I need to die? Just because I can't control my bending perfectly? A lot of other kids can't control theirs as well as I do… why is it just me… why are they afraid of me… what did I do wrong?' _

_Itachi notices the glazed look in Riku's eyes before allowing a small smirk to appear on his face. Without warning, Riku is lifted into the air and spun around before settled comfortably in Itachi's arms. Peals of laughter escape her before she buries her head into the man's shoulder to stifle her laughs, causing the man to let out a small chuckle of his own. _

"_If I let you keep making that face, it would get stuck like that." Itachi jokes, causing Riku to let out a small snort before sticking her tongue out at him. The carefree mood settles down as Riku tells Itachi of what she heard from the meeting. He takes on a thoughtful expression before nodding. _

"_I see." His voice turns cold and harsh – quite unlike the careful, kind tone his voice held moments ago. _

"_Itachi-nii? Don't look like that… that's not you." Riku mutters out as she snuggles deeper into his shirt. "Itachi-nii isn't mean… Itachi-nii is kind." _

_His eyes slightly widen before a sad smile covers his face, as if he was upset at the words of the young girl in his arms. His protective hold around the girl tightens before he uses one hand to fish out a silver ring hanging on a thin chain from his pocket. The ring possessed a familiar looking red gem with markings covering the band. _

"_I won't let you die." He murmurs softly into her ear before gently kissing her head. The seal on Riku's neck reveals itself, pulsing and synching itself with the chakra contained in the ring. Riku's eyes glaze over as several of the seals merge with the seal on her neck. _

_~blacks out~_

_*crack*_

'_Why… how did I end up here…?' Riku thought as she glances around to make sense of her surroundings. Something had compelled her to come here this night, but how did she even end up here? Where was here exactly? Glancing around at her surroundings, Riku feels a vague sense of familiarity tickle her mind, but the constantly shifting shadows prevented further recognition from occurring. Once easily distinguishable objects and people no longer exist, for the swaying shadows appear to morph everything into a single ominous presence. A door ahead was slightly ajar, revealing the faint glow of the full moon and moving shadows. Murmurs could be heard, but nothing distinguishable could be made out. As she slowly closes the distance, words are finally distinguishable. _

"_Riku…."_

"…_cruel fate for one..." _

"…_only a matter of time…too late…"_

"…_yes…"_

"…_keep her away from… he's a trigger…." _

"_..can't let her remember….same path…. Same enemy… Hi-" _

_~blacks out~_

_*crack*_

_A younger Neji could be seen ushered out of the main compound of the Amarante clan. His face was downcast and confusion could be seen reflecting in his eyes. He glances back into the room his father and he had just left, trying to make sense of what had occurred in the meeting. He places a hand on his forehead where his clan seal was hidden beneath the fresh bandages. Something similar was going to happen to his charge… no his friend… someone else that didn't deserve to have such a cruel fate. _

"_Why does she have to go through this as well oto-san?" Neji questions sadly._

"_It's not for us to say… that is her fate… such as the fate of the branch family of the Hyuuga clan." He states solemnly before placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Your role is not over yet Neji… when you see her again…" _

_~blurs in and out~_

"_Hai oto-san." A small smile graces Neji's face as he grasps something hidden underneath his robe. _

_~black out~_

_*crack*_

"_You chose to do this?" Amarante Kaito could be seen crossing his arms, glaring daggers at the figure seated before him. _

"_Not like anyone can force me to do something I don't want to old man." The cloaked figure states smugly before bringing his arms behind his head in a relaxed manner. "Besides, I want to see what hime-sama can do. Will she change her fate or will she die trying… just like all the others?"_

"_This isn't a game." Kaito admonishes. _

"_Not to you. You were never a player. You were just a piece. Me – I'm different; I chose to become a player. But I suppose I should call you a piece without a master now… after all, she lost the game all for some stupid-" The figure cuts off before being harshly slammed against the wall by the throat, knocking away the cloak's hood to reveal a mask covering his eyes. _

"_Don't. Say. Another. Word." Kaito's eyes turn a burning crimson. _

_~blurs in and out~_

"_So it finally comes out… You really were a prized piece Kaito-sama…" The figure chuckles before continuing, "The game will continue. I will take on the next player… whether she realizes it or not – she's playing for her life." The figure smirks as he matches his gaze with Kaito's crimson ones. "No one can escape it – especially her." _

_~blacks out~ _

_*crack*_

"_Oi!"_

_Surprised by the voice, the blue-haired girl turns around only to have a pair of arms wrap around her neck in a warm embrace; however, the momentum from the impact sends both children crashing into the snow beneath them. _

_*plop*oof*_

"_Naru!" Riku lightly complains beneath him before bending some of the snow into his face. _

_Naruto lets out a cry of surprise before quickly wiping away the snow off his face. "No fair!" He calls out before a snowball impales him in the face – causing the girl to let out a small giggle. "You asked for it!" Naruto voices out before sending several snowballs at the girl before him. _

_~blurs in and out~_

"_Why won't you tell me your name? I've told you mine. It's only fair." Naruto pouts as the two sit near the edge of the frozen lake. Her eyes become downcast before she glances over to the moon lilies bordering the shore of the lake. _

"_If I tell you, I won't see you again." She trails off before murmuring, "But no one will know…" to herself._

"_I don't get it." Naruto pouts, "You must have already told some of your other friends. Why not me? Am I not your friend?"_

"_You are. I just… can't. Not yet." Riku fidgets slightly under the accusatory look before glancing down at the lilies once more. "How about this? If we come here again when the lilies bloom, I'll tell you my name."_

_A confused expression enters his face before a goofy grin quickly replaces it. "You must really love those flowers huh? I always find you around them." He holds out his pinkie. "That's a promise I'll hold you to." He teases, causing the girl to let out a small smile before she hooks her pinkie with his._

"_Ahh…of course." Riku replies with a smile before having snow shoved into her face. "Naru!" _

_~blacks out~_

_*crack* _

_Two figures were lying on their backs watching the clouds slowly drift by. The water benders had decided to transition the season to spring– shifting the once frozen tundra into that of a lush field filled with swaying grass. Soft trickles of water could be heard as the last of the melted snow drifts off the leaves into the now unfrozen lake. _

"_Riku."_

"_Shika." _

_Shikamaru glances lazily at the girl's face and notices the confusion reflecting in her silver orbs. Seeing no need for a long explanation, he just lets one word fall from his lips: "When?"_

_Rather than clarifying the situation, it just further confused the girl._

"_When will they trap you?" He adds with a sigh. "Geez… keep up will you?" _

_Riku blinks several times to process the words before allowing a sad smile to grace her lips. "Soon. I won't see anyone anymore…. I don't know why…" She trails off before frowning "Wait…how'd you find out?"_

_Releasing a tired sigh, he taps his finger against his temple – telling Riku all she needed to know. _

"_Guess this will be it then." He mutters out as he shifts his gaze back to the sky. _

"_Ahh… suppose so." Riku agrees before sparing a glance toward Shikamaru. "Shika?"_

_*grunt*_

"_Hopefully I'll see you again." _

_A small smile graces his face before he lightly taps Riku's forehead with his knuckles. _

"_You already give me enough trouble now, troublesome woman." He comments before moving his hand to top of her head. "Don't do anything reckless. I can't bail you out anymore." He finishes as he strokes the top of her head affectionately. _

"_I know Shika… I know…"_

_~blacks out~ _

_*crack*_

_Riku and Sasuke could be seen sitting side by side in front of the lake – gazing at the blooming moon lilies. The white flowers slowly unravel themselves – revealing a glowing blue center. Ice blue particles slowly drift in the air, illuminating the night sky. _

"_Sasuke?"_

_Noticing the drop in her voice he turns to her in worry. "Huh, what is it?" _

"_Don't forget about me alright?"_

_He knits his brows in confusion. "Why ask that? It's not going to happen." Sasuke chides. _

_She smiles down sadly. "Ahh… we'll be together till the end right?" Riku adds as she cups her hand in an attempt to catch the particles drifting in the sky. _

"_Why stop there? Let's go further." Sasuke states with a smile. _

_Riku's eyes widen in surprise before she lets out a laugh. "You're right. We'll be with each other as long as we want… no matter what…"_

"_And when we grow older, we can-"_

_~black out~_

"_We'll always be together like this… won't we?" Two merged voices – one Riku's, one unknown – calls out to a figure shrouded in darkness who nods and hold out a hand in response, beckoning the speaker to reach out and take the hand offered._

'_Who? Why does it feel like this has already happened?'_

_*crack*_

"_Her time's running out." _

'_I've heard this before, but not from this voice… whose voice is this?' _

_*crack*_

"_Are you willing to face the consequences for your actions?" _

'_Oji-san? No… it sounds different…'_

_*crack*_

"_Why face reality when you know you can't escape your fate?" An unknown voice calls out._

'_Again with fate… what can't I escape?' _

_*crack*_

"_Why are you so desperate to save them? You make no sense." A vaguely familiar voice questions. _

'_This voice… I've heard it somewhere before… it sounds like the man in the cloak…?'_

_*crack*_

"_Keep running away. The more you fight, the more I want to chase after you." The same voice calls out. _

'_That definitely fits him…'_

_*crack*_

"_I promise I'll be there for you till the end. I'll be the last person who will see you for you. Nothing more… nothing less." _

'_What does that mean?' _

_*crack*_

"_Keep running away. Keep escaping from me. The chase cannot end. Not now. Not ever."_

'_Where have I heard that before? It sounds familiar, but is it?' _

_*crack*_

As the onslaught of memories slowly trickle down to scattered phrases, Riku's seal begins to fade under the surface of the skin, leaving only the additional vines (Orochimaru placed on her) coiling around one another. Holding her head in pain, Riku staggers back several steps – scrunching her eyes before slowly opening them to peer at the man before her.

"Itachi-nii… I remember you…" She falters slightly before steeling herself. "I-" Riku takes a step forward.

"Riku. Stay away from him!" Naruto exclaims, causing her to halt in her steps. A smash is heard, causing her to snap her gaze in Naruto's direction to see Kisame's sword embedded in the ground a centimeter away from Naruto's head. A trail of blood leaks through the skin before slowly trickling down his temple.

"Naruto." She mutters out, noticing the fear etched into his eyes before it morphs into angered crimson orbs. His body is crouched low to the ground as if he had tried to run toward her, only to be stopped.

"Snap out of it baka! So what if he's the guy you've been looking for all this time. Look at him. Is he the same guy you remember? Is he?!" Naruto exclaims as he glares at Itachi, only to grow more upset at Itachi's lack of response.

"It's him… it really is him… but…" She trails off. Something wasn't right. Nothing made sense anymore. This whole time, the person she was looking for turned out to be a traitor… if he could be called that… But regardless of the memories, her heart wouldn't let her believe it. Something tells her to trust in him, to trust him with all her heart. It didn't make sense. Why should she trust someone she's just recently remembered? Someone who sealed away her memories in the first place?

'I want to know why. I want to know the truth: the truth of the Amarante massacre, the truth about the seal, truth about what I am. I just want to know the truth. I can't understand why the Itachi I knew – the kind-hearted, caring boy- would turn into someone like this. Why did he kill his clan? Why did he hide me from Sasuke? Why did he not want me to remember him? Why?'

"Heh. You know this girl Itachi?" Kisame asks as an amused grin appears on his face.

"A past acquaintance." He replies calmly before shifting his eyes back to her. "So you remember me? How much do you think you know?"

His eyes unnerved her. No glimmer of warmth exists in them, only anger disguised under the cold indifference.

'Why… what changed him?' He takes several steps toward her, causing her to reflexively take several steps back. Even if her heart told her to trust him, her body is running on instinct – telling her to back away from the man silently radiating anger.

"You've deluded yourself." He speaks out as he makes his way over. "Living off past memories that may or may not be your own….

*step*step*

…Believing in a memory that could have been forged…

*step*step*step*

…Blindly searching for someone who no longer exists…

*step*step*

…Foolish girl..."

"Don't listen to him!" Naruto calls out.

*crash*creak*

Riku glances over at Naruto to see beads of sweat trailing down his face as frustration flashes through his eyes. Kisame's sword continues to loom dangerously close to Naruto's face.

"Let's not interrupt the two of them kid. Seems like they have something to settle, wouldn't you say?" Kisame smirks as the ridges on his sword squirm and tremble in anticipation of bloodshed.

Ignoring the comment, Naruto makes a move toward Riku before Kisame's leg slams into his stomach. Undeterred, he manages to throw a kunai between Itachi and Riku, but it does nothing to deter Itachi's advance – only causing him to avert his eyes to the side before resuming their hold on Riku. Naruto's back painfully connects with the wall with a resounding thud before he staggers to his feet as he looks at the blue-skinned figure standing before him.

"Take it as a warning. Next time, limbs _will_ fly." He finishes with a chuckle before shifting his sword over his shoulder.

'Bikoume.'

"Naruto!" Riku makes a move toward him only to have Itachi appear before her – making a move to slam his knee into her stomach. Out of reflex, she brings my arms into an x shape to block only to have him reappear low to the ground to send a kick upwards. Not having time to react, the kick connects – sending her into the air before he rams his fist into her stomach. Her back hits the wall before she rolls to the side to avoid another punch.

"You won't fight back?" He muses aloud.

It wasn't that she wouldn't fight back. Her body couldn't react fast enough. His moves would constantly change – shrouding the familiar fighting patterns she would see with the Bikoume in layer of fog.

'I can't use the Bikoume against him? What's going on? Everything keeps getting jumbled.' She makes a move to bend the surrounding water around her arms to create her usual ice claws, only to have nothing happen. Alarmed, she tries to surround her arms in lightning instead only to have the same result. 'W-what? Nothing's working?!' She thought frantically as she stares at her trembling hands. 'The reset phase? Now?!'

Distracted by her thoughts, she doesn't react until Itachi slams her into the wall (next to the embedded kunai) before pinning both her arms above my head with one of his hands. She sends a kick toward him only to have him lean to the side before using his knee to trap her leg across her body.

"You can't fight back. It should be obvious to you." He states calmly before trailing his gaze down to her neck. "So why do you insist on increasing your own pain?"

The question catches her off guard but she stares back into his crimson eyes, answering, "Simple. I just want to and I don't give a crap about what others say. This is my life and I'll live it my way."

'You've grown, but you're still a…' He trails off in thought before two words leave his lips. "Foolish girl."

An amber glow surrounds his free hand before he makes a move toward her throat. Her eyes widen as a familiar scene flashes through her eyes only to have his hand pause right above the seal.

"Sasuke." He mutters.

"I've waited for this moment… Itachi…" Sasuke trails off before his eyes fall on Riku. His eyes widen when he takes in the situation before a snarl rips through his throat. "You… Get away from her!"

Itachi glances over to Sasuke for several lingering seconds. "Does it anger you little brother? To see the girl you greatly treasure in such a pathetic state?" Not waiting for a response, he rams his hand on Riku's throat. Eyes wide, a straggled noise escapes her throat. Locking his gaze with hers, Itachi notices another ring solidifying on her iris before her eyes return to their normal appearance and her body slumps in his hold.

"ITACHI!" Sasuke charges at the pair in blind rage with the chidori.

Itachi continues to gaze at Riku, brushing several strands of hair framing her face as chain-like seals cover her arms and legs. 'Only when you can control it... will this lift. So keep struggling... keep fighting. Just like you've always done, Riku.'

Itachi calmly throws her away from the attack before grasping Sasuke's wrist – halting the chidori in its path. Before Riku hits the ground, the kunai poofs back into Naruto who catches her and jumps away to safety.

'Riku…' Naruto trails off in thought as he glances down at her glazed expression. A stifled cry escapes her lips before she shuts her eyes and curls into herself. Gritting his teeth, he tightens his hold around her when he hears Sasuke's strangled scream. 'What can I do? Riku… Sasuke… these guys just took them out so easily. Even when I swore I was going to protect her, this happens… why?'

"Itachi…"

Naruto glances down at her in surprise. "This… why?" She mutters sadly before gripping the fabric of Naruto's jacket. A strangled cry escapes her lips, earning her a pained look from Naruto.

"You…" Sasuke grounds out before weakly looking up at Itachi. "What did you do to her?!"

"I see your protectiveness over her still stands…" Itachi observes before gazing down at Sasuke. "It doesn't concern you."

"Nani?!" Sasuke struggles to stand, but makes no noticeable gains. "Why… why did you hide her from me? Why did you give her a damn collar!"

"A collar?" Itachi continues to gaze at Sasuke in disinterest. "Does it really anger you? She was never yours to begin with. I merely treated her as she should be treated. After all, doesn't a beast need a collar?"

"You-!"

Kisame shakes his head in amusement. "You always get to have all the fun, Itachi." He hefts his sword on his shoulder before cleaving the Naruto in front of him, only for it to poof away. "Looks like I was only watching a clone this whole time… I should have cut off his limbs sooner." Grinning, he turns to Naruto. "Looks like I'll finally get a turn kid."

The red continues to dominate Naruto's irises. Gritting his teeth, he lets out a growl before noticing the girl in his arms shakily pushing herself up.

"Oh? This girl actually escaped your technique eh Itachi?"

Itachi narrows his eyes. "I only temporarily incapacitate her."

"Eh?" Kisame chuckles. "So you gave me a chance to see if she's really our other target or not. I appreciate it." He turns his attention back to Riku who continues to clutch her eyes in pain. "Just one more cut little girl."

Before he raises his sword, he notices a red demonic chakra surrounding Naruto and Riku.

A growl reverberates in Naruto's chest as he stands before Riku. "I won't let you get near her!"

"So that's the Nine-Tail's chakra." Kisame observes before glancing down at his squirming sword. "Huh… so you're excited are you? Did that girl's chakra really remind you of this?" The sword squirms again. "Can't tell huh…"

Panting, Riku staggers up before placing a shaking hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't lose yourself either…" She whispers, causing the crimson in his eyes to recede, returning them to their natural azure.

"I have to do something…" He mutters back before forming the hand signs for the summoning technique.

Amusement shines in Kisame's eyes. "Too slow." He swings down his sword, dissipating the chakra surrounding them before showing his sword to the two. "My Samehada can shave… and devour chakra."

Riku knits her brows in thought. 'So that's it… he basically took away my chakra from that single cut… it went as far as to take a part of Minori's chakra. Makes sense now.'

At the news, Naruto's eyes widen in shock, but he continues to draw out chakra. "Why… "

Riku bites her bottom lip. 'It's not working… he's too distracted to focus it. As for me…' She glances down at the seals on her hands. 'I can't do anything… my bending, my chakra… they're sealed and to top it off, I'm in the reset phase.'

Smirking, Kisame raises his sword, but before it connects, a large cloud of smoke appears, blocking the hit.

*clink*

Once the smoke disperses, an armored toad is seen stalling Kisame's sword.

*poof*

Another cloud of smoke appears behind Naruto and Riku.

"You two don't know me very well… " The smoke clears to reveal Jiraiya with the unconscious woman over his shoulder. "The great Jiraiya is better at winning a girl than by being seduced by one. I wouldn't let one seduce me with her beauty. When you become great like me, women go crazy your own beauty." He announces in a flourish, causing Riku to sweat drop.

"Says the guy who ran off with her the second you saw her…" She retorts, causing a tick mark to appear on his face.

An awkward silence settles in the corridor before Naruto turns around – finger jutting straight at Jiraiya. "Yeah right! You were excited over a simple wink from that woman. I don't think you should be showing off, Ero-Sannin!"

"Come on, don't call me that in front of other people." He mutters feebly as he rubs the back of his head. This only riles up Naruto even more.

"Shut up! More importantly," Naruto turns around and points to Itachi and Kisame. "these guys aren't just chumps, Ero-Sannin. Ne, Ero-Sannin!"

"Stop calling me Ero-Sannin!" Jiraiya yells back, causing Naruto to sweat drop in response.

Kisame lets out a chuckle. "You are indeed one of the legendary sannin, Jiraiya… even though you are a lover of women, I knew we couldn't hold you off that easily."

Naruto gawks. "Eh? He knows Ero-Sannin's true identity?"

Jiraiya shakes his head feebly. "Well… it's not like I was hiding it or whatnot…"

"Looks like you dispelled the genjutsu on that woman." Kisame remarks.

Jiraiya frowns before resting the woman against the wall. "You're a disgrace to all men." He directs to Itachi, "Using your eyes to manipulate a woman into separating me from Naruto and Riku…" He turns to face Kisame and Itachi. "So you're after Naruto after all."

"No wonder Kakashi knew… I see now. You were the source." Itachi mutters. "It is an urgent order by our organization, Akatsuki, to take Naruto with us."

Naruto takes a step back in surprise. "Me?"

Kisame lets out a chuckle. "Not just him… that girl." He turns his gaze over to Riku. "Her chakra feels similar to our other target, but I won't know for sure unless I cut into her again."

'Again?' Jiraiya looks to Riku to see a patch of dried blood before his eyes widen at the seals covering her arms and legs. 'It's already been broken? This isn't a good sign… but it looks like my hunch was right. She really does have it then…'

The armored toad disappears in a dome of smoke, allowing Kisame to relax his stance.

"I can't hand either one of them to you." Jiraiya adds seriously.

Unperturbed, Itachi matches his gaze with Jiraiya's. "We'll see about that."

"Very well, I'll get rid of you two right here."

"Don't interfere…"

Riku, Naruto, and Jiraiya turn to Sasuke to see him staggering up to his feet, arms hanging limply at his side. "The one who's going to kill him…is me!"

Itachi glances at Sasuke coolly. "I have no interest in you right now."

"Then get interested!" Sasuke charges at Itachi, only to be sent careening into the wall across the hall.

*slam*

"Sasuke!" Naruto makes a move to Sasuke, followed by Riku.

"Riku, Naruto. Don't interfere!"

They reluctantly halt in their steps as Sasuke continues to stagger up, using the wall as support. "I've lived for this moment… I've stay alive… to kill him."

Sasuke charges at Itachi once again, only to receive the same result.

'Sasuke… you baka.' Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Riku makes a move to Sasuke, only to be stopped by Naruto. "Naruto?" She turns back to see him holding a pained look. He shakes his head, telling her to leave it. "He can't take Itachi on…" Riku tries to explain, earning her another head shake.

"He said not to interfere…"

*tickmark* Riku scoffs. "As if we've always listened to orders… Itachi's a missing nin. Sasuke's a genin. How do the odds sound to you?"

Naruto blanches.

"Ahh… my point exactly." Her voice softens. "Even though I'm pretty much useless as I am now… I know I can be a distraction… just get Sasuke out." Before Riku can make another move, Naruto panics before hitting her in the back of the neck and catching her limp body. Realizing what he had done, he starts panicking before vainly attempting to wake her up.

"Naruto…" Jiraiya shakes his head. "That's no way to treat her."

Naruto looks at Jiraiya with wide eyes. "I panicked okay?! I just… I don't want to see her do that… she's always been like that. I didn't know how to stop her except that!" He defends, earning a sigh from Jiraiya.

"I guess… but if she's inherited Tsunade's temper… I wish you the best of luck."

Naruto gawks before his shoulders sag. "She's not going to be happy once she wakes up…" Naruto mutters to himself as he rubs the back of his head. "It's for the best… I think."

His thoughts are interrupted once he hears Sasuke's pained groan. Noticing the state of the battle, Jiraiya makes a move to step in, only to have Kisame block his way.

"Those two have something to settle. Let's just watch, shall we?"

A frown enters Jiraiya's face, but he concedes for now; however, as the fight between Sasuke and Itachi continues, Naruto decides he's finally had enough.

'I can't watch anymore…!' Gritting his teeth, he lowers Riku next to Jiraiya before bolting to Sasuke, resulting in Kisame chasing after him. Taking this chance, Jiraiya creates several hand signs before slamming his hands to the ground.

"Ninpou: Gamaguchi Shibari." (Frog Mouth Trap)

The walls and floor are soon covered in flesh, catching the attention of Itachi and Kisame. Not liking the situation, the two attempt to escape. Not long after, a rumble soon racks the area, causing Jiraiya and Naruto to sprint to the source to find a large hole with black flames bordering it.

Wary of the flames, Jiraiya seals it in a scroll for later analysis before making his way back to Sasuke and dispelling the jutsu. Lowering Sasuke's body against the wall, Naruto looks on with shock. At the same time, Jiraiya brings over Riku's body and rests her next to Sasuke. Naruto's expression saddens before a kunai embeds itself against the wall, catching his and Jiraiya's attention.

*tap*tap*tap*

Naruto turns around to see Gai charging at them before aiming a kick toward Jiraiya.

"Dynamic-"

Jiraiya's eyes widen in surprise. "Gai?"

"Entry! Eh?" Gai's eyes bulge in shock, but before he can stop his kick, it connects with Jiraiya's face, knocking him onto his back.

*eye twitch*

Dusting himself off, Jiraiya stands before Gai, irritation clear on his face. Gai merely rubs the back of his head sheepishly, explaining he had used his headband as a mirror (seeing as he forgot his at home in his rush to arrive) and couldn't exactly tell who were in the hallway. This earns him a dissatisfied snort from Jiraiya.

"Is _that_ supposed to be an apology?" Jiraiya scolds.

Gai continues to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm not good with words…" He adds lamely.

Jiraiya snorts. "Forget it… Take Sasuke to a hospital. His arms and ribs are broken. Also… he took a mental attack from Itachi's sharingan and was knocked unconscious."

Gai's eyes widen in surprise before he turns to Riku. "And Riku? How is she?"

Jiraiya rubs the back of his head. "About that…"

Riku's eyes suddenly snap open before she sends a glare at Naruto who swallows nervously.

"Riku!" Gai sweeps her into his arms before spinning in circles as tears stream down his face. "Your youthful existence has been returned to us!" He sniffs while Riku releases a sigh.

"Ahh… I'm-" Riku starts but is cut off.

"I thought I would lose you like Kakashi."

'Kaka-sensei?' She freezes. "Wait, what happened to Kaka-sensei?" The question causes Gai to still before he lowers her to the ground, still keeping her in an embrace. "Kakashi… he's trapped in the same technique Sasuke's in… he's unconscious as of now." Gai's face falls before he releases Riku. "We don't know when he'll regain consciousness."

'Like Sasuke?' Riku glances over to Sasuke in shock before her bangs shadow her face. 'I see… so Itachi hurt Kaka-sensei too… It doesn't add up… Th-this isn't like him at all.' Itachi's words replay themselves in her mind, causing her to clench her hands. 'Even so… something tells me to trust you, or rather the person you were… I really am pathetic… relying on my heart instead of my head. I've really fallen…'

Releasing a frustrated sigh, Riku crouches before Sasuke before shakily placing her hands on the sides of his face.

"Sasuke…" She trails off before lifting his blank gaze to hers. He doesn't respond.

"Riku, he-" Naruto starts, but Jiraiya places a hand on his shoulder before shaking his head. Crestfallen, Naruto lowers his gaze to the ground.

Frowning, Riku furrows her brows in thought. 'Whatever Itachi used… it must have been an advanced genjutsu to overcome the sharingan… even one at Kaka-sensei's level. Traditionally, a genjutsu is dispelled by disrupting the foreign chakra invading the person's psyche… but I'm sure the other medics tried that on Kaka-sensei…' She frowns. 'I can't even ease its effects… there has to be another treatment method, but nothing I've read has suggested it… but I know someone who would know for sure.'

"Sasuke…" She tries again before a soft smile enters her face. "I know you probably can't hear me… but arigato for everything… this time, I'll be the one to help you, so hold on alright?" She rests her forehead against his. "You've saved me so many times… I won't fail you." She finishes before backing away.

'That's right… It was always Sasuke saving us... saving you. Where was I… what was I doing?!' Clenching his hands, Naruto turns to Jiraiya. "Ero-sannin… what the hell did that teme do to Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei? We have a change in plans. I couldn't do anything back there, but this time will be different. I'm going to find those two and beat them up! They want me right?! Then I'll go to them."

A frown appears on Jiraiya's face. "Hmph. Even if you go to them right now, you're only going to get killed. Their level and yours is just too different. I barely managed to get them away from you back there."

Naruto turns to Jiraiya with a scowl. "Are you suggesting that we run and hide from them?! You want me to shiver in fear every day?!"

"Shut up for a while!"

Shock covers Naruto's face before he reluctantly calms down.

"You're weak." Jiraiya shakes his head before turning to Gai. "Sorry Gai. I thought I took Sasuke's feelings into consideration, but I should've helped him earlier."

"I see…" Gai looks sadly at Sasuke. "When a student is injured… from the bottom of my heart, I wish that she, the medical specialist, was here."

Jiraiya nods before a smile enters his face. "That's why we're going to look for her."

"Her?" Gai's eyes widen in surprise. "Are you talking about…?"

"Yes, a sannin like me… the healing specialist and slug tamer… the woman with the word gamble on her back…" Jiraiya places a hand on Riku's head. "… and her mentor… Tsunade."

**{~}**

-Time skip-

-On the road-

"Are you sure you're alright to travel with us? You could have gone back to the village with Gai and Sasuke." Jiraiya calls back to Riku who continues to blankly watch the road before her. The frown on Jiraiya's face deepens before he releases a sigh and stops before Riku who stops just inches away from his chest.

She breathes out a sigh. "Ahh… and for the what, eleventh time now, I can travel."

Jiraiya snorts. "There's nothing wrong with asking."

Riku cracks a small smile. "I'm sure the first ten times were enough."

Naruto glances over to her before swallowing the lump in his throat. "Ne Riku… you're not still upset for me knocking you out right?" Naruto asks nervously before bringing his hands together in a pleading manner. "I panicked… I just… didn't want you to throw yourself out there… Even you knew you couldn't really do anything."

Jiraiya face palms. 'Wrong move…'

*eye twitch*

Riku lets out a sigh before turning to Naruto with a blank expression. "I'm not mad, so drop it."

Naruto sweat drops, shoulders sagged. 'You're definitely mad… *sigh* I really need to learn to think before I act…' Naruto shakes his head before turning to Jiraiya. "Ne, Ero-sannin? Why were they after me? You know… don't you?"

Jiraiya says nothing at first before finally turning to Naruto with a small smile. "They're not after you… they're after the thing inside you."

"Inside me..?" Naruto repeats before placing a hand on his stomach. "You mean the Nine-Tails?"

Jiraiya nods. "I'm not exactly sure what they're planning to do with the Nine-Tails… but my best guess would be to put its power under their control. As long as it's sealed inside of you, they will keep targeting you." He cracks a smile. "Still, as long as I'm around, I'll protect-"

Naruto cuts him off. "Then I just need to get stronger."

Jiraiya blinks. "Huh?"

"Alright! Let's go find Riku's mentor, have her save Sasuke, and begin training!"

Riku allows a small smile to enter her face before she passes Jiraiya and pats him on the arm. "You'll get used to it." She advises, earning herself a chuckle.

"I somehow expected that." Jiraiya comments before frowning. 'As for why they're after you… it seems your demon's a key player in this as well… It's unfortunate that my hunch had to come true.'

The three continue walking before Naruto strikes up a conversation. "Ne Riku, what's Tsunade like?"

She casts him a side glance before looking straight ahead. "Ahh… well she's intolerant of failure, quick-witted, has a bad temper… and could probably crack open your head with just a finger if she really wanted to."

Naruto blanches. "Y-you're joking right?"

Riku smirks. "You've seen me create a crater with one punch right? Does it really surprise you that the person who taught me that technique would be immensely stronger than me?"

Naruto gulps nervously. "Hehe…" He rubs the back of his head before turning to Jiraiya. "Ne Ero-Sannin, she's a sannin too right?"

Jiraiya looks at him curiously. "Yeah… what about it?"

"How old is she?"

"Same as me."

'She's old…' Naruto frowns at the answer, causing Riku to let out a small laugh. "If you call her that out loud, I'll be sure to create a tombstone in your honor."

"E-eh?" Beads of sweat trail down Naruto's face, but Riku merely smiles in response. 'She's not joking…'

Shaking his head, Naruto turns his attention back on Jiraiya. "Ne, how would you describe her?"

"Hmm…" He places a hand on his chin. "If I had to describe her in a word… it'd pick unpleasant. She has a gambling problem and she's well-known in various countries." He lists out.

"Since she's well-known, she'll be easy to find then."

"Not exactly… even though she's in her fifties, she doesn't like to appear old so she looks to be around her twenties. Then again, she has a tendency to change her appearance into different ages to escape debt collectors."

Naruto frowns before shaking his head. "Really? That sounds horrible…"

"Ever since she was young, Tsunade has always liked to gamble… but her lucks and skills just plain suck." He offers a shrug before stopping and gazing up in nostalgia. "She's known as the Legendary Sucker because she's been duped out of money by everyone. So she borrows money then runs…" He shakes his head before a chuckle escapes him. "That brings back memories."

"Stop enjoying your old memories! How are we supposed to find her?"

"I'm not sure. We'll probably have to take things slowly, but there are many ways of going about it."

Naruto releases a groan. "Then we don't know how long it'll take…" He whines.

"We won't waste time though."

"Eh?"

"I'll use my time on you two as we travel."

"Ah?"

"On me?"

"Time to make you two stronger with… training!" He finishes in a flourish.

Excitement shines in Naruto's eyes before he allows a wide smile to enter his face. "Yosh!" Naruto places down his backpack before taking out Gai's green bodysuit, causing Riku and Jiraiya to gawk in horror.

'He actually kept it…' Riku's eye twitches in annoyance, remembering the times Gai would force the thing on her as well.

"Wait, wait, wait…" Jiraiya waves him over, but Naruto ignores him and places the bodysuit over his body in glee. "Don't wear that, come on… I don't want to talk with a guy wearing something like that." Jiraiya pleads as he squats down in front of Naruto who continues to pose with the bodysuit.

Seeing Jiraiya's failed attempts to dissuade Naruto, Riku face palms before releasing a sigh and walking over.

"Ahh…Naru… could I see that for a minute?" Riku asks with a pleasant smile, causing Naruto to send her a skeptical look.

Shaking off the warnings in his head, he hands Riku the bodysuit before widening his eyes when it's suddenly ripped to shreds.

Jiraiya, Naruto, and Riku blink in surprise as a current of wind scatters the remaining pieces in the air.

"E-eh? I-it just… how?" Naruto sputters.

Riku gawks. "I didn't see that coming…" She mutters before shaking her head. "Good thing you didn't put it on… you'd be prancing around naked right about now if that was the case…"

Jiraiya makes a face before nodding. "I agree…" He adds before frowning. 'What was that back there… it's like something suddenly ripped it to shreds.' He turns his gaze to Riku who looks up to the sky in confusion. 'Could she have unlocked another element? The chances of that are slim… but with what I've seen of these two… anything's possible.'

* * *

><p>-Time skip-<p>

**(First person perspective)**

My eyes widen in surprise at the hustle and bustle of the town – from the children running around enjoying the festival, to the parents smiling down at the sight, to the vendors lining the streets selling countess goods, to the laughter echoing around us.

"Wow…" Naruto glances around, excitement clear on his face. "I've never been to a place like this."

"Same here…" I continue looking around with a glazed look.

"Heh." Jiraiya sends us both a grin. "Glad you two like it. We'll be staying in this city while the festival goes on so take the time to rest and enjoy life for a bit before we move onto training. It's important to have fun too. Besides, with how long this festival is and with new people coming in every day, something about Tsunade is sure to turn up. We just have to buy time."

"Alright!" Naruto cheers before reaching into his backpack to pull out a bulging frog wallet. Grinning, he rubs the wallet against his face in glee.

"Wow kid, looks like you're pretty well off." Jiraiya observes, which Naruto responds with a chuckle.

"It's because I saved up from all the missions I've done." Naruto puts his backpack on before grabbing my hand. "Well, see ya later Ero-Sannin! Riku and I have a festival to enjoy."

"Hold it!" He grabs Naruto's wallet from his hands. "I'm going to keep your wallet."

"Eh?" He lets go of my hand and jumps at the wallet Jiraiya lifts far from Naruto's reach. "What are you doing?!"

Jiraiya opens the wallet and hands Naruto a small wad of money. "Here, you can use this much."

"What?! Only 300 ryou?"

"Don't 'what' me. You know there's something called the three taboos of a ninja right?"

I roll my eyes, not bothering to listen to Jiraiya's bull seeing as he's only saying it to convince Naruto into letting him keep the money. Besides, from what I know of Jiraiya, I wouldn't put it past him to splurge all of Naruto's money in the end anyway.

I release a sigh. 'I'm glad you warned me about him Tsunade…'

"Well, there you have it." Jiraiya finishes before handing Naruto his pack. "I'm going to start asking around, so look after this for me."

Frowning, Naruto grudgingly takes the pack before swinging it over his back. "Anything else…?" He grumbles impatiently.

"Hmm…" Jiraiya places a hand on his chin before pointing a finger up into the sky. "Almost forgot." He turns to me. "Sorry Naruto, but I'm going to be borrowing Riku for a bit."

I blink. 'Wait what?'

"No way." Naruto shields me from view. "I don't trust you alone with her, Ero-Sannin. You might do something weird to her, just like that one time you had her lift up her shirt for you!"

Several onlookers send Jiraiya disgusted looks, causing him to sweat drop and shake his head.

"Nothing to see. He just has an overactive imagination is all…" As the looks dwindle down, Jiraiya sends Naruto a glare. "Look, I'm not going to do anything to her alright? There's something we have to talk about real quick. The sooner I get to talk to her, the sooner you see her again. Deal?"

Naruto sends Jiraiya a skeptical look whereas I shake my head. 'Since when have I become a bargaining chip?'

"Fine…" Naruto mutters begrudgingly before running off. "Make sure to send Ero-Sannin into the sky if he touches you Riku!" He calls out before disappearing into the crowd.

"Huh… he's grown pretty protective of you kid." Jiraiya scratches the back of his head before turning to me. "Let's go somewhere more private. I need to talk to you about that seal."

**{~}**

-Time skip-

-City outskirts-

I lean back on the railing with my arms crossed before releasing a tired sigh. "Ahh… what? More bad news? You know, every time we talk it's always about something bad." I send him a weak smile which he returns with one of his own.

"It does seem like that huh." He crosses his arms. "As predicted, the seal on your neck broke, but it left behind Orochimaru's core seal." He frowns. "I assumed it would disappear as well once Kaito's and Itachi's broke, but that's not the case… to make matters worse, it looks like Itachi used Orochimaru's seal as a base to branch out the effects of your old seal." He closes the distance and gazes intently at the seal on my neck before lifting one of my hands to observe the chain-like seals.

"It seems to be stronger than the last one… back at the other town, you said you weren't able to use any of your chakra as well as your bending… do you think you can try it now?"

"I can, but I make no promises…" I take back my hand before taking several steps into the clearing. "I'm also in the reset phase… so if I blow you up… don't blame me." The color drains slightly from his face but he nods stiffly, causing me to crack a small smile.

Slowing down my breath, I try to gather some of the nearby water particles, only for nothing to happen. Frowning, I try to call out my lightning element, only for the same to result. 'Nothing's working…' Gritting my teeth, I concentrate my chakra into my fist before punching down at the ground. The ground instantly shatters against the force and caves in before a spark crackles against my skin and I'm sent hurdling back into a tree – snapping it on contact.

*crash*rumble*

The dust soon settles, showing a wide-eyed Jiraiya staring at the tree that had just missed him.

"Huh it missed…" I observe dully as I rub the back of my head.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." He deadpans before walking over to me. "Looks like your chakra's somewhat back… as for your elements… doesn't seem like they're responding." He knits his brows in thought before gazing over at the crater. "Your elements are water and lightning right?"

"Yeah… seems like you've thought of something?"

He rubs his chin. "What are the chances of someone in your clan inheriting three elements?"

I frown before standing and dusting myself off. "That's impossible." I crack my back. "We've only had duel benders. Even in those cases, it's rare for benders to master both elements. They end up preferring and sharpening their skills in one element more so than the other. What does this have to do with my seal?"

"It could be nothing… but I think you might have inherited an element that overpowers the two others. That could explain why you can't really bend any of your usual elements as of right now." He furrows his brows. "As for what this new seal does… I can't be sure unless you strip, so strip."

I sweat drop. "If I was anyone else… I would have punched you into the air right about now."

He rubs the back of his awkwardly. "And that's why I'm glad you're not an exact replica of Tsunade."

Scoffing, I shrug off my jacket before taking off my tank top to reveal a black midriff. Bringing my hands together, I concentrate on molding my chakra before noticing Jiraiya's face abnormally close to my stomach.

*tickmark*

'Déjà vu.'

"Aren't you a bit close?"

He glances up slightly before releasing a half shrug. "The seal's fully formed right now, but these other seals seem to constrict it… Have you heard from Minori recently?"

I let out a sigh. "No… she's been unusually quiet…"

"I see…" He straightens himself before placing a hand on his chin. "It's a rather complex seal, but I think I'll be able to remove it without damaging the main seal. Well, in theory anyway." He takes an offensive stance. "Hold still now."

I wave my hands in front of me. "Wait, shouldn't you-"

I didn't get a chance to finish, Jiraiya had already rammed him hand into my stomach, sending me tumbling into the ground before landing in a crumpled heap.

*cough*cough*

"You couldn't… wait… a few… seconds?" I gasp out before clutching my stomach in pain. "Or test it… beforehand?"

He sends me a shrug. "I did test it… just now."

I send him a glare before staggering back up. Glancing down, I notice the chain-like seals coiled around the main seal on my stomach rather than spread out down my arms and legs.

"It's still there…" I mutter, earning myself a tired sigh from Jiraiya.

"I was afraid of that…" He rubs his chin in thought. "There's a locking mechanism on it… a rather advanced one at that. It seems like it has a mind of its own… coiling around the main seal in an attempt to preserve itself. Whatever purpose this seal has… this isn't a good sign." He releases a sigh. "Based on the design, it seems the purpose is to completely disconnect you from Minori – chakra and all – but there has to be more to it than that… I wonder why he went this far…" He muses aloud as I dress myself.

Releasing a sigh, I shrug in response. "To be honest, I have no idea…" I place a hand over my face. "He's not the same person in my memories… I've gained more snippets but not everything's back to how it was before… Still, despite what happened… something keeps telling me to trust in him. It's pretty sad, huh?"

"Well… I wouldn't say sad… maybe optimistic is the better choice." He glances up. "You wish he'll change, maybe say everything was all an act and return to how he was… that's not a bad wish to have… but at the same time, you need to keep in mind that he's changed. He didn't hesitate to hurt you then… and I'm sure he won't if you meet him again. Don't forget, he's after Naruto and maybe you as well."

I frown, getting the feeling Jiraiya was talking partly about himself. "I know that… but, then why did he strengthen my seal when he saw me lose control… why is he hiding Minori, or rather Kouryuu? His partner had a chance to slice into me again… but with Minori sealed… he wouldn't have been able to find her chakra… Itachi… he was protecting me."

Jiraiya shakes his head. "Not exactly. You understand how destructive Minori can be if she runs rampant right? Assuming he knows that as well, do you think he would take the chance to go against her or take advantage of the seal he placed on you to make sure you'd be easy to deal with? Those two aren't average ninja Riku… and I know you cared for Itachi in the past… but don't let that blind you from what's in front of you. He was about to take Naruto away… doesn't that tell you something?"

I make a move to speak before stopping myself and looking down sadly. *sigh* "I just don't know… everything's telling me one thing, but my heart just keeps saying no… maybe I just need some time."

"Maybe." He pauses. "Look, I know this is a great shock to you… but don't forget about the people you still have to protect… also," He gives me a smile. "isn't it about time you forgave Naruto? He didn't mean to knock you out."

*tickmark*

"You're not helping his case." I deadpan. "I still can't believe he did that…"

"Look, we both know Naruto's not exactly… the brightest ninja out there." He adds, earning a shrug in response. "But the only reason he did that was to stop you from taking unnecessary risks. At the time, your chakra and bending were sealed. What could you have done?"

I release a growl. "Distract Kisame so you could get a chance to intervene."

His eyes widen in surprise before he rubs the back of his head. "So you were planning on getting Kisame's attention… same thing as Naruto…" He releases a sigh. "Alright, I'll bite. That could have worked… still, do you think Naruto really thought all that out? All he thought about then and there was your safety above everything else."

I sigh. "Alright… You've made your point… it's just that I feel somewhat betrayed that he would knock me out like that, even if it wasn't exactly intentional. For me, that's a breach of trust. It's something that's going to take some time to repair."

"I see." Jiraiya rubs the top of my head. "Don't be too hard on him. I can tell you're really important to him. Trust me on this." He gives me a wink before walking toward the city. "With that said, you better join Naruto at the festival while I get started on my research."

I give him a look. "Meaning you're going to enjoy the company of woman." He suddenly stiffens before turning back with a nervous look.

"What are you talking about?" He gives me a fake laugh.

'Ahh… Payback time.'

Smiling sweetly, I take several steps to him before sending a swift punch to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. "I may not be an exact replica of Tsunade, but if I find you fooling around too much, or teaching Naruto something indecent… you will be sent flying."

Releasing an amused chuckle I step away before patting him on the shoulder. "Enjoy the festival."

As I walk away, I hear him release a pained groan. "I stand corrected… she's a mix of Tsunade and Anko… that's much worse…"

**{~}**

-Time skip-

Entering the festival once again, I try to find Naruto, glancing at the various booths, though having no luck so far. Nothing really stood out, but for some reason, I stop to glance at a simple hair ornament in a nearby booth. It shouldn't have caught my eye. It was a simple pin with white flowers, hardly extravagant, hardly worth a second glance in the vast display of objects; yet, I still noticed it.

"Hello there." The vendor, a fairly young man with gold eyes and black hair, sends me a playful smile. "Something catch your eye?"

I pause at his voice, furrowing my brows in thought. 'His voice sounds familiar, but the differences are there… it can't be him.'

"Miss?"

I blink, seeing him wave a hand in front of my face. "Ahh… gomen ne, I tend to space out." I answer sheepishly.

He quirks a brow before sending me a smile in response. "No worries, I just thought you saw something you like. So…" He leans a bit closer, "Is there something that caught your eye?"

Before I can answer, he holds up the hair ornament I glanced at moments before.

"Maybe this?" He suddenly leans over and wraps the ornament in my hair, causing me to blink in surprise. "It suits you…" He trails off as he fingers several strands of my hair.

_*crack*_

_I suddenly see a girl with cascading black hair and crimson eyes staring sadly down at a nearby pond bordered by dormant moon lilies. A pained expression enters her face before another figure embraces her from behind. _

"_-, it'll be alright. I won't let you go through this alone…" The man murmurs before turning the girl before him. "And c'mon… You shouldn't be so mopey. Even if we're at war, you can't give up your dream right? Peace no matter the cost…" _

"…_to end this ceaseless suffering." She finishes before letting out a soft smile. "You always know what to say to me."_

"_Tch, of course." He thumps his chest proudly. "I am your best friend." _

_She scoffs. "You're not the only one." This causes the man to let out a dissatisfied groan before he places his hands over the girl's eyes. _

"_Eh, what are-" _

"_Shh… you'll spoil the surprise. Just close your eyes alright? It took me forever to get this ready so don't put up a fuss." _

_The girl frowns before relenting. "Alright…"_

_Smiling, man pulls out the hair ornament I saw at the booth before expertly wrapping it in the woman's hair. _

"_You can open your eyes now." _

_She does so before placing a tentative hand in her hair. _

"_This…" She trails off before the man turns her around to allow her to see her reflection before the moon lilies bloom – sending ice blue particles into the sky._

"_It suits you right?" He grins happily before embracing the shocked girl. "Happy birthday."_

_Eyes wide, the girl tentatively returns the hug. "Arigato… you actually remembered." _

_The two continue to embrace, not once noticing the figure hiding in the shadows, clenching his fists in anger before walking away from the scene. _

_*crack*_

'What was that... that wasn't my memory...' I place a hand on my face before blinking my eyes to see the worried expression of the vendor.

"You alright there? Wouldn't want you to suddenly keel over and die." He laughs humorlessly.

I send him a smile. "I'm not easy to kill thankfully, so no need to worry."

A glimmer of amusement flashes in his eyes before he releases a chuckle. "I see…" The dark edge in his voice suddenly disappears as he sends me a smile. "I'm not joking at the hair ornament though. It really does suit you."

I wave my hands in a no gesture. "I don't think so… and I don't think I can really find a use for it. Arigato though…" I place a hand on the pin to remove it, only to have the vendor place a hand on my own.

"Keep it. It's something I've wanted to part with for a long time. You taking it would be a favor to me. I'll even give it to you free of charge." He adds before taking a step back.

I frown at the situation. It was strange, but some part of me didn't really want to part with the ornament for some strange reason. Releasing a sigh, I accept the vendor's offer before making my way through the festival to find Naruto standing in front of a booth with countless masks.

Spotting me, he immediately latches onto my arm, asking me if Jiraiya did anything to me. Sending him a smile, I answer no, causing him to release a relieved sigh before zeroing in on the ornament in my hair. His face scrunches up in confusion when I explain my experience with the vendor, but he soon dismisses his thoughts, opting rather to tell me how it suited me.

"Even if that's the case, it's rather fragile… I wouldn't want to wear it when I fight or train." I add before taking the pin out of my hair and wrapping it in a spare fabric before placing it safely in my pack.

"I guess…" Naruto trails off in thought. "Maybe get something you can fight with next time… but for some reason, it looks familiar to me… maybe I've seen it before somewhere?" Naruto mutters to himself before putting on his mask.

Not long after, Naruto trips, accidentally spilling the contents of Jiraiya's bag. As he picks up the dropped objects, he notices the checkbook and after glancing through it, a growl escapes his throat. Huffing, we end up in front of a food stand before Naruto purchases a cooked squid for Jiraiya, himself, and me. Walking past the various booths, we soon hear Jiraiya's voice and enter only to find him drunk with two scantily clad women flanking his sides.

"Oh, Naruto, Riku. Did you two enjoy all of the festival already?" Jiraiya asks before taking another sip of sake whereas the two women cuddle against him.

*eye twitch*

I send him a deadpan expression before shaking my head at the sight. "Why am I not surprised…" Munching on my squid, I send Naruto a glance. 'Looks like you're pretty surprised though.'

Eyes wide, mouth hanging open in shock, Naruto glances down to the deflated frog wallet before a puff of smoke escapes the open case.

*tickmark*

Jumping up, he stands inches away from Jiraiya's face. "Say all three ninja taboos to yourself again! You broke all three in one go, baka!"

*sweat drop* 'So he wasn't referring to the sight… just his money.'

The girls scurry away, causing Jiraiya to waves his hands in front of Naruto in a placating manner.

"Wait, Naruto."

Ignoring him, Naruto jumps on the couch and bonks Jiraiya on the head with his fists. "You used all the money I worked so hard to save! You baka! Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka."

"I'll pay you back…" Jiraiya mutters feebly as he halfheartedly protects his head with his arms.

"You made my frog wallet flat!" Naruto cries out before the fried squid flies out of his hands and onto a man's white jacket, staining it a dark brown.

"What the hell?! Whatcha doing, fool?!"

Naruto turns to the voice to see an angry bald man in a black suit standing next to another in a white trench coat.

"You put a stain on bro's brand-name suit! Pay for it! Get 100,000 ryou!"

Naruto gawks. "Huh?! Clothes like that cost 100,000 ryou?"

"Ahh… he got ripped off." I shrug before finishing off my squid.

"That stupid looking thing costs 100,000? That's a little on the high side, don't you think?" Jiraiya comments easily as he rests his arms on his knees.

"What? Are you trying to pick a fight? You shouldn't for your own sake." The white-clad man warns.

"Bro is a former Chunin from the Hidden Rock Village. He's the killer ninja who was feared as a legendary Yaminin."

"Ah?" Jiraiya crosses his arms. "Legendary what?"

*tickmark*

"It looks like you wanna get hurt!"

"Naruto. Riku." Jiraiya stands up. "This is a good opportunity to show you two a technique." He explains as a ball of swirling blue chakra forms in the palm of his hand.

My eyes widen in surprise. 'That chakra… it's so condensed, but not only that… it's like there are multiple movements in that one sphere…' I furrow my brows in thought. 'What is that?'

"Bastard!" The white-clad man runs at Jiraiya, but he merely slams the ball of chakra into the man's stomach. The man's feet drag onto the ground before his entire body turns clockwise and he flies into his partner and the balloon stand.

"Wow!" Naruto cheers.

Jiraiya grins before catching a water balloon. "Hm…"

Walking over to the two guys with us trailing behind, Jiraiya mutters, "I went easy on you, but you guys sure are weak."

The man in the white suit weakly cracks open his eyes. "You… you're the legendary…"

Jiraiya cuts him off and turns to the booth vendor. "I'm sorry I broke your stand."

Trembling, the man in the white suit hands Jiraiya his wallet. "Take this for repairs…"

"Thanks." Jiraiya takes the wallet before handing the vendor the money. "Pops, I'm going to take all of the water balloons and regular ones too. Is that okay with you?"

He sends Jiraiya a wary look. "I don't mind…"

Facing us, Jiraiya sends us a grin. "Naruto. Riku. We're going to train."

Grinning, Naruto does a fist pump. "Yes! It's about time."

**{~}**

-Time skip-

-City Outskirts-

I lean my back against one of the trees, observing Naruto and Jiraiya standing several feet in front of me.

"Yes, we're finally in training mode!" Naruto cheers, causing a small smile to appear on my face.

'As hyper as always…' I shake my head before my smile falls. 'It's hard to stay mad at him… but I am…'

"Here's a water balloon." Jiraiya tosses it to Naruto. Frowning, Naruto gazes down at it blankly.

"What about it?"

"You watched the technique carefully right?"

He nods. "Yeah…"

"What did it look like?"

Naruto glances up in thought. "I think the enemy was rotating a lot."

Jiraiya scrunches up his face before releasing a grunt. "Good enough…" He picks up another water balloon from the bag.

"Yes, rotation is involved." He holds up his hand, showing us the water balloon. Numerous bulges form on the water balloon – all moving in different directions – before the bulges elongate and the water balloon pops.

I glance up in thought. 'So taking into account Naruto's answer… there's a main rotation involved… but numerous others taking place as well? How does that work?'

"With the tree climbing exercise, you accumulated and maintained a certain amount of chakra in a needed area. With the water walking exercise, you released a constant amount of chakra. Now, for this water balloon exercise, you're going to create a flow with chakra. Simply put, a rotation."

'He didn't really explain everything…' I frown.

Naruto closes his eyes. "Create a flow with chakra?"

"I'll tell you the details of this technique once you're able to complete the basics." He holds his hand up. "First, you accumulate and maintain chakra in your hand like the tree climbing exercise. Next, you release a constant amount of chakra like the water walking exercise. Finally, you push and rotate the water inside the water balloon. That's the breakdown for this exercise."

"I get it now!" Naruto snaps his eyes open. "This training is to create a fast rotation inside the water balloon to pop it right?"

"My, you're getting sharper. Okay, we're going to train until night."

"Yes!" Naruto cheers before zoning in on the water balloon resting in his hand. Several seconds tick by before the balloon starts twitching before swaying in a counterclockwise direction.

"Alright! The water inside is rotating! I'll be able to pop this faster than I thought."

Jiraiya walks over me before plopping down against the tree. "Then I'll rest for a while until you pop it." He reaches into his top before pulling out a bottle of sake. "With this accompanying me." He grins.

Naruto glances over with a confused look. "Hey, what is that?"

"I need it to kill time. Then I think I'll take a nap." He drinks from the bottle.

"Hmph. At the rate I'm going, you won't even have a chance to nap."

"Do you really think so?" He gives Naruto a grin. "Wake me up when you pop it then."

"Just watch. I'll master this move by today if I keep this up."

"Uh huh…" Jiraiya mutters disinterested before glancing up at me. "As for you, you're going to be doing something a bit different." He tosses me a water balloon, causing me to quirk a brow.

"Different how?" I mutter before glancing down at the water balloon.

"Well, seeing as you're in the reset phase, you need to gain control of your chakra again right?"

I shake my head. "Not exactly… I'm not sure how to put it, but I can control it just fine. It's just my bending that's… missing?"

He rubs his chin. "I'll have to get back to you on a fix for that, but as for chakra control… seeing as you've been trained with Tsunade, why not try learning this technique too? Would be a good challenge… plus, Hikari was rather fond of this technique. She even went as far as to create one to accompany it." Jiraiya's smile widens. "She wanted to be able exponentially increase the power of their attacks – your father's and the Fourth's – so she came up with a technique. Unfortunately, The Fourth and your mother were never able to combine their jutsus successfully. Your father and mother on the other hand, were able to on pure chance. After that one instance, it never worked again." He finishes with a shrug.

"Huh…"

"She was really disappointed in it though, ended up scrapping it as a failed jutsu in the end." Jiraiya shakes his head sadly.

I send Jiraiya a confident smirk. "Ahh… then I better fix it then. I don't like having things broken around me."

'Oh the irony…'

This causes Jiraiya's smile to widen. "Good call. But you better learn the mechanics of this jutsu first before you think of how to create a jutsu to accompany it. Well then…" He stretches before bringing one of his arms behind his head and taking a sip from the bottle. "On with the training."

Stepping away from the tree and Naruto, I shake the balloon from side to side, hearing the sloshing water before tossing it in the air then repeating the process. 'I can still somewhat read the movement of the water… but I can't exactly control it… maybe if I…'

The balloon suddenly rips to shreds in my grip before the water drips to the ground.

"What?! You got it already?" Naruto comes over before his eyes widen in surprise. "Wait, what'd you do?" He drops the water balloon and takes my hand. "… It's like something clawed your hand."

I glance down at my hand in disinterest, noticing how the black wrappings had remained intact for the most part.

I give him a shrug. "I didn't use any chakra to do this… it just popped…" My hand starts twitching in pain, causing me to take it out of Naruto's grip, earning myself a hurt look in response. "It's just a scratch… nothing to worry about." I send him a half-hearted smile before taking another water balloon and stepping away.

"Wait, where are you going?"

I pause in my steps. 'Don't use that tone Naru… it's already hard enough for me as it is…'

"Just leave me alone, alright? Wouldn't want you to end up like my hand." I show him the droplets of blood trailing down my fingers. "Side effect from the reset phase. Nothing to worry about."

"Eh?" He sends me a worried gaze before looking down sadly. "But…" He shakes his head before sighing. "You don't have to be so cold like the teme. I know you're still angry with me, so go on and say it already!"

'So you're not as blind as I thought. You really keep surprising me…' I gaze at him blankly. 'Still, I can't help but feel betrayed, even if it's just over an accident… I … I just can't calm down… At this rate, I can't let anything out… or I really will hurt you…'

"What's wrong with you?" He takes a step forward. "You were fine at the festival. Sure you were more distant, but you didn't just shove me away like you're doing right now. We agreed we'll always be there for each other. We promised each other that, so what's going on damn it?!"

"Are you quite done?" I ask before tilting my head. 'Just stay away from me right now… I'm doing my best to hold it in…' The seal on my stomach suddenly burns, causing me to grit my teeth in pain. 'What's going on?'

"Damn it Riku! Stop acting like that!" He suddenly tackles me to the ground, straddling my waist. "Stop it… you're not going back to that again. You're not going to be a damn puppet again alright? You were getting so much better. You were actually trusting others, me… actually being human." He grits his teeth together before his hair shadows his face. "What's going on? Did meeting Itachi really mess you up that much? Was he really that important to you?"

"He…" I trail off. "… that wasn't him."

"Riku…" He voice softens. "You really want to believe in him huh…" He releases a sigh before smiling down sadly at me. "I don't blame you… if I was in your place and it was you… I wouldn't give up on you. I'd probably go after you and knock some sense into you, like old times. I wouldn't give up until you were back to normal… that's how you feel right?"

I grit my teeth. 'You always do this...' I thought before shoving Naruto onto his back as I stare down at him with a pained expression. 'Doing everything you can to understand me... not once looking at me like a monster... with hate... why can't you just get mad at me? Just push me away? What's wrong with you...you...'

"You baka…" I murmur before shakily embracing him. 'I don't know what's going on anymore... I feel like I've just lost control over everything...'

"Riku…?" I hear the hesitation in his voice, causing me to release an empty laugh.

"I hate…" I feel him stiffen as I trail off. "… how you do this to me… I'm still mad at you… what you did there… when you knocked me out. It felt like you betrayed me… I can't forgive you so easily, but I'll try. Ne, Naruto…" I trail off, feeling a lulling warmth cover the seal.

"Yeah?"

"Don't... don't ever change… You're probably one of the few things keeping me sane." I mutter before feeling something stir in the back of my mind.

He releases a hesitant laugh before placing a hand on my head whereas the other wraps around my waist. "I could say the same to you. I don't always understand you, Riku, but you were my first friend. I promised you I'll always be there… and if I have to physically drag you back to sanity, I'll gladly do it. Believe it."

The sound of rattling chains suddenly appears in my mind, causing my eyes to widen in surprise.

'_**Chain up your true self… and undo the chains to find a sleeping monster. Only then will all make sense…' **_Minori lets out an amused chuckle._** 'So little one… will you be able to undo the chains to find the truth, or will you let it consume you and your precious person? The full moon is coming and so will the death bells.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry if any of the scenes are confusing; I found it difficult to have Riku stay mad at Naruto, but I'll work on that. Look forward to the awkward moment when the two realize Jiraiya's still watching them. xD Anyway next time, training continues, the next full moon, and Riku's reunion with Tsunade. If anyone has any ideas for Riku's modified jutsu, feel free to review and thanks for reading this chapter and being patient with me through all the rewrites. It means a lot to me. Until next time. <strong>

**Ja ne~**

**_{~}_**

_Pairings so far:_

Riku x Naruto (9)

Sasuke x Riku x Itachi (7)

Sasuke x Riku (4)

Gaara x Riku (6)

Shikamaru x Riku x Naruto/Sasuke (9)

Gaara x Riku x Shikamaru (3)

Gaara x Riku x Sasuke (5)

Sasuke x Riku x Naruto (14)

Neji x Riku (4)

Shikamaru x Riku (9)

Itachi x Riku (3)

Parallel story (?):

Deidera x Riku x Sasori (2)

Itachi x Riku (3)

Pein x Riku (1)

Hidan x Riku (3)

**_{~}_**

Review Responses:

_lostfeather1: Hi again. :D Thanks for the reviews. I know it's been a while since I've posted a new chapter, so I hope this chapter works out. I'm glad you like how the story has progressed and thanks for the input on the pairings. _

_katchile94: Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The story has changed a bit with Naruto's character since I took another reviewer's advice a developed Naruto's character more in the story. _

_Guest 7/22/12 (chapter 8): Hi and yes, I added another character in, since I didn't want to take out a character from cannon._

_Guest 7/22/12 (chapter 9): Shikamaru does have long moments of speech in the anime, especially when he explains the concepts of strategies to others like in the invasion arc. I'll keep that in mind though because Shikamaru isn't one to speak much unless it's something important. _

_Guest 7/22/12 (chapter 21):Thanks for the detailed review. It really helped, but I'm not exactly familiar with the Japanese language so the explanations really helped me. I tried addressing them in the chapter rewrites and I hope that has turned out well. If there are any more mistakes or other details you feel I should know, then feel free to send a review. I also took out the emicons in the newer chapters, since I understand how it doesn't exactly portray the characters' expressions very well. As for the original lines, I'm looking at the subtitled ones, so those might be a bit off… I try to reword the ones that don't make sense when I rewatch the episodes when I write the chapters. _

_NightWindAlchemist: Thanks for the reviews and I'll keep the pairings in mind. _

_JayVonMonroe'sAngel: Thanks for the review and compliment. I'm glad you like the story. _

_Guest 7/24/12 (chapter 21): Thanks for the review and sorry it took so long to update. I don't mind the long reviews, since they're always fun to read. It's interesting to read your reasoning though and you do have a point. That pairing would be an interesting scenario. As for the whole, having her swept off her feet, I'll keep that in mind. Any certain preference for who that scene belongs to? ;) _

_Guest 7/26/12 (chapter 21): I'm glad it was entertaining, but as for making the oc looking good part, I don't think that's exactly the case in all the chapters, especially this chapter, where we're going to be seeing an uglier side to her personality._

_TheSylphOfHeart: Sorry about the cliff hanger, but I hope this chapter has been worth the wait. _

_skipbeataddict: Thanks for the review and pairings input. Haha I'm glad you really like the plotline and I hope this update was worth the wait. _

_ILOVEANIME123: Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoyed the update._

_dream-creator 11/7/12 (chapter 22): Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like the RikuxShikamaru pairing. Hopefully the update was worth the wait. _

_LovelyThorn: Thanks for the review and input. I'll keep that in mind. I know the Land of Snow mission isn't coming up in the story until later, but I wanted to get it planned out beforehand. I'm planning on placing it after the Tsunade retrieval arc. _

_Guest 11/25/12 (chapter 22): Thanks for the review and input. _

_Yuriko-Rurinia: Thanks for the review and pairings input. Hope this update was worth the wait. _

_akira-chan101: Thanks for the review and praise. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and yeah, it's pretty difficult, thinking up of new things to add to the story, but that's how interesting life events factor in. Thanks for the pairings input and I'll keep that in mind as I write the story. _

_Kisara Suzune: Thanks for the pairings input and review. _

_CrystallizedSiren: Thanks for the review and the patience with this story, especially with all the rewrites I had the story undergo. I'm really glad you enjoy the story and Riku as a character. She's difficult to write at times since she develops from an apparent cinder block to a more human character. She's going to have a lot of ups and downs still, but hopefully she'll get stronger from it. _

_Guest 2/20/13 (chapter 2): Sorry for the confusion. Riku's a girl disguised as a boy for the beginning part of the story. _

_batla: Thanks for the review and pairings input. _

_Maya: I hope the updates have been worthwhile and thanks for the review and pairings input. I'm also glad you enjoy the story so far. _

_LeoInuyuka: Thanks for the review and pairings input. I'm not sure if you reviewed that chapter already, but thanks again for taking the time to leave a review. _

_airgearlover: Thanks for the pairings input and review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well._

_Guest 6/28/13 (chapter 16): Thanks for the pairings input and I'm glad you like the story so far. The tradition where the father hunts the guy… yeah that did play a part in one of Riku's past memories… still, it's a pretty interesting thought though, seeing as Kakashi has to hunt the guy down for a night. xD I'm going to have a lot of fun with that scene once the pairings are more definite and the plot gets more developed. As for the length of this story, I'm not sure how long it will go, but with college coming up, I might have to resort to updating every other month. _

_xXCobaltFlameXx: Thanks for the review and the pairings input. I'm glad you like the story so far. =)_

_OrangeBears: Thanks for the review and yes, you can vote for both of them. =)_

_pandadragons: Thanks for the review and pairings input. The Deidara x Riku x Sasori pairing would be for the parallel story which I'm planning on writing after this story ends. =) I think that pairing would be interesting in the parallel story, but not sure yet. _

_NeitherSaneNorInsane: Thanks for the review and pairings input. I'll keep it in mind when I hit the Sasuke retrieval arc. _

_Forever blue sky 7/13/13 (chapter 19): Thanks for the pairings input and review._

_Guest 7/13/13 (chapter 19): I'm glad you enjoy the story so much. =) Thanks for the input and review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well._

_Nice girl 001 7/13/13 (chapter 17): Thanks for the input. _

_Dreamlove 7/13/13 (chapter 18): I'm glad you enjoy reading the story so much. I have a tendency to go back and reread it as well to help me figure out what plot holes I need to address in the upcoming chapters. Thanks for the pairings input and I hope you keep with the story. _

_BlueChains: Thanks for the review and I'm glad to hear from you again. It's been a while since I've posted review responses, but I'm glad you still enjoy the story after all this time. As usually, I'll keep the pairing in mind and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. _

_whiskedaway: Yeah, sorry about that. I made sure to stop doing that for the chapters and went back to some to remove them. _

_IxLOVExALOISxTRANCYx: Thanks for the input and I'm glad you liked how the chapter turned out. Hopefully this update was worth the wait. _

_traciezhu2001: Haha yeah, didn't really notice that until you pointed it out. xD_

_DSpirit: Thanks for giving my story a chance. It's difficult to come up with an OC who isn't a Mary-sue, but I'll do my best to keep everything in check. As for how long this story will be, I'm not entirely sure, I have a tendency to overwrite since I want the details to be clear to the reader, so I guess we'll see._

_kankananime123: Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like how the story is progressing. Tsunade is still going to take Sakura on as her apprentice so yes, Riku and Sakura are officially going to start taking their rivalry up a notch. As for the Sasuke x Riku x Naruto pairing, she's going to eventually choose, but that's going to be focused more in Shippuden (if that pairings ends up on top in the end). That's going to be an immensely rocky situation for Riku, so wish her the best of luck if that does happen in the end. _

_Belgarith 8/10/13 (chapter 21): Thanks for the review and I'm glad you enjoy it enough to recommend it to your friends. _

_Chinatsu-eternalfanficlove: Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad you enjoy reading the story. I don't mind the excitement. It really makes my day when I see someone else enjoying the story so much and I'm glad you've taken the time to review when you don't really write them that much. Haha, I admit to that habit too, but I'm doing my best to break out of that._

_bb123 8/13/13 (chapter 21): Thanks for the review. For this story, I plan on stopping after the Sasuke retrieval arc and start another story as the sequel for Shippuden. For the pairings, thank you for the advice. I think I'll end up doing just that and show more interactions between the other characters. _

_Nabil Shimurai: I'm glad you enjoy the story so much and I hope you enjoyed this update as well. =) I have a tendency to overwrite, so I'm glad the length of the story doesn't deter you from reading it. _


	22. Announcements-New

**Announcement 1:** I'm extremely sorry that I haven't posted the next chapter yet. I have posted up the progress that I've made and some ideas on my profile. Hopefully that will give you something to think about in relation to this story. I know this isn't a very valid excuse, but I've been juggling a track club with AP classes, so time has been lacking for me. Anyway….

**Good news:** I am working on the next chapter.

**Bad news:** It will come out sometime this weekend.

*Thank you for everyone that has been reading this story. I will try to make updates more frequent, but school can get in the way of that…

**Another note:** If you're bored or just curious, take a look at my profile to see the ideas and plans for the story. If there's an idea you would like to see in my later chapters, send a PM or review and I'll take it into consideration. If there are any ideas you want to tell me, go right ahead. Hopefully I'll get back to you guys sometime Saturday, if not then Sunday.

**Until then…**

**Ja ne.~**

* * *

><p><strong>{~}<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Announcement 2:<strong>

Yes, it's another one of those pesky author's notes. I know it's been a while since I've posted up the next chapter and I wanted to let you guys know that I haven't given up on this story. As of right now, I've hit a wall for some of the scenes in the next chapter, but rest assured, the chapter will come out before the end of this month. I've also taken the time to go back and fix some of my previous chapters, seeing as there are obvious spelling and grammar mistakes that I've failed to correct in the past. The whole correction process will take time (so don't expect all the chapters to randomly update in one day), but hopefully it will be worth it. If you guys have any ideas you want to leave behind for me (criticism, character interaction, opinions, etc.), leave a review or PM me and I'll take it into consideration. Thank you to everyone who has kept up with this story and have taken the time to review. It means a lot and I hope to see you guys soon.

**Until next time.**

**Ja ne.~**

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><p><strong>{~}<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Announcement 3: <strong>

Hi again. I've hit a pretty low point in my life and have going through the revision process of this story before I post up a new chapter. I'm a bit stuck on how Itachi will react to Riku and the slight fight Naruto and Riku will have in the course of the search for Tsunade. If there are any ideas then it will be greatly appreciated. See you next time...

**Until then..**

**Ja ne~**

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><p><strong>{~}<strong>

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><p><em>6-23-13<em>

**Announcement 4:**

Hi :D I'm going through the rewriting process of this story and so far I am on chapter 15. Once I finish with that, I will be ready to move on with the story. There have been some big shifts in some of the chapters so feel free to go back and read those to see how the story is now. Constructive criticism will be much appreciated.

**Until next time...**

**Ja ne~**

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><p><strong>{~}<strong>

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><p><em>2-17-14<em>

**Announcement 5:**

No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth or dropped dead and became some zombie to write again. All I can say is that college is not fun... especially when you get slammed with ochem reactions and mechanisms. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, thanks for understanding. If not... be happy you're not in ochem... be very happy. Ok mini rant done. I'm tweaking the other chapters again... yeah sorry about that but my writing style has changed a bit so incorporating that in the earlier chapters. I've hit a wall for the scenes of the newest chapter and working them out but in the mean time, if anyone would like to offer some ideas or input, feel free to PM me or leave a review. Any and all ideas will be appreciated. Thanks. :D

**Until next time...**

**Ja ne~**

* * *

><p><strong>{~}<strong>

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><p><em>6-25-14<em>

**_Announcement 6:_**

Probably going to be hating me for doing this, but I decided to go back and edit the chapters I already have, add more scenes, and clarify some of the plot holes that have been popping up. I know you guys will hate this since I have done this before, but I really appreciate your patience and understanding. If you guys have a chance, then feel free to go and look at the new chapters and make some input on them. (I'm up to chapter 10 by the way... ) Anyway, since I'm out of school right now, I will have more time to work on this story and get some more chapters out before school starts again. I swear I will finish this story and not abandon it.

If anyone has any ideas on conversation topics or scenes between any of the characters, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it happen. I think the main reason for this rewrite is basically me fixing the OOC-ness of some of the characters, especially Naruto, seeing as he isn't the type of person to abandon his friends. One reviewer pointed this out to me and I'm grateful for that since it's something I need to work on. Hopefully the changes in the new chapters will reflect the characters better. Let me know if there are any other areas of improvement that needs to be made.

And to prove that I am still working on this story, here's a little preview. Enjoy. ^^

Preview:

_"Do you know anything about him?" I ask. _

_"Hm..." Tsunade stares down at her sake in thought. "Your description of him isn't much to go on... plenty of shinobi have black hair... but from his words alone..." Her brows furrow in confusion before she shakes her head. "It's impossible... he couldn't have..." She mutters to herself as her frown deepens. She switches her glance to me before she grimaces. "Even if you look remarkably similar to your mother, your eyes would have given you away... so for him to refer to you as Hikari..." She shakes her head once again before downing the sake. "It's impossible... it can't be him..." She mutters as if trying to convince herself despite the skepticism in her voice._

{~}

_"Your body is different... unlike a normal shinobi who only has one chakra network, you have a separate network that runs your chi around_  
><em>your body. They function independently from one another so even if someone were to disrupt or block your chakra points, you would still be able to bend.<em>  
><em>But, if they were to disrupt your other network, now that's a different story... the drug I synthesized was the one Orochimaru-sama used to take down your <em>  
><em>clan. Sad, isn't it? That a simple drug could take all that away, though temporarily. It's still imperfect... only lasting several minutes at most, but <em>  
><em>that will be more than enough." Kabuto explains. <em>

_I feel his cold fingers trailing down my face, pausing for a moment as they brush the corner of my lips before a sharp tug forces my face up to meet his._

_"You know, I can see why Orochimaru-sama is so interested in you." __His grip on my hair tightens, causing me to slightly grimace. "Have you remembered yet? Who you truly are?"_

_"What are you talking about?" I growl out, earning a tsk in response._

_"Looks like you haven't. How unfortunate." He murmurs blandly before tightening his grip on my hair. "Things could be progressing so much more smoothly if you did."_

_"As if I want your plans to run smoothly." I gripe, but his smile only widens._

_"I never said it was my or Orochimaru-sama's plans. It's your mother's."_

_My eyes widen in surprise._

_"Not what you expected, is it? You poor, poor girl." He mocks before bringing his face closer so that his breaths ghost across my ear. "Everything you believed in has been a lie. __Your precious person is nothing but a traitor, a murderer, a criminal. Someone who won't hesitate to kill you."_

_I release a growl._

_"Oh? Are you angry?" He releases an amused chuckle. "It seems your drive hasn't diminished... this will be fun."_


End file.
